Steelers Now
A former edge rusher of the Pittsburgh Steelers has earned another opportunity in the NFC.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Eku Leota signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad on Tuesday, the team announced.
Leota, 26, had been looking for another opportunity in the NFL after being waived by the New Orlean Saints on Nov. 25. He appeared in three games, registering one tackle with the Saints.
Leota joined the Steelers on Oct. 1, 2024 and signed a reserve/future contract with the team for the 2025 season.
He followed it up with a strong preseason, recording seven total tackles (five solos) and a forced fumble. However, Pittsburgh waived him as part of its final cuts since the team was already loaded at the position with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and rookie Jack Sawyer.
Leota began his career as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and caught on with the Carolina Panthers. In Carolina, he played in eight games in 2023 and two more in 2024. In those 10 games, he played 133 snaps of defense and 113 on special teams.
Leota suffered a pectoral injury that cost him most of his senior season at Auburn in 2022 and also prevented him from participating in most of the pre-draft testing process. His best collegiate season statistically came in 2021, when he recorded 23 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Before joining Auburn, Leota played three seasons at Northwestern, where he was an All-Big Ten selection in 2020. Leota was born in Western Samoa and grew up in Asheville, North Carolina.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former Steelers Edge Rusher Heads Back to NFC
