Steelers Now
A former defensive tackle of the Pittsburgh Steelers is coming out of retirement to continue his football career.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Khalil Davis announced his retirement from football this summer, but he has since changed his mind.
According to James Larsen of Pro Football Newsroom, Davis is making his return to the UFL, joining the Birmingham Stallions, who he played for in 2023.
BREAKING: The Birmingham Stallions are bringing back DT Khalil Davis, per sources.
Davis, who spent the 2023 season with the @USFLStallions, has had strong campaigns with the #Texans & #49ers since then.
He retired earlier this year, but now decides to return to the #UFL. pic.twitter.com/55FYjyKrpW
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) September 3, 2025
Davis, 29, was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after running a 4.75-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, the sixth-fastest time for a defensive lineman. He was waived by the Buccaneers on Oct. 2, 2021.
He was then claimed off waivers by the Indianapolis Colts but was waived less than a month later and signed to the Steelers practice squad in November of 2021. Davis spent the remainder of the season there and signed a reserve/future contract with Pittsburgh on Jan. 18, 2022 but never appeared in any games with the team.
Davis most recently played for the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers, who traded for him at last year’s deadline.
He played in 15 games with the Texans in 2023, starting one game. He recorded 16 tackles, two sacks and two pass deflections.
On Nov. 5, 2024, the Texans traded Davis to the 49ers in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Things did not pan out in San Francisco, though, as he played just three games for the 49ers, recording no stats.
A 6-foot-1, 308-pound defensive lineman, Davis has recorded 46 tackles (10 for loss) and three sacks in his NFL career.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former Steelers Defensive Tackle Comes Out of Retirement
