Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Kellen Diesch has signed with the Arlington Renegades of the UFL for the 2025 season.
Diesch, 27, spent all of the 2023 season on the Steelers practice squad, and had participated in the team’s rookie minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex in the spring of 2024 before being released.
After being cut by the Steelers, the Cleveland Browns claimed Diesch off waivers, but they cut him days later with a failed physical designation.
He signed with the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans practice squads this season, but did not appear in a game for the third straight year.
Originally an undrafted free agent for the Miami Dolphins out of Arizona State in 2022, Diesch also spent time with the Chicago Bears before joining the Steelers at the end of training camp in 2023.
A 6-foot-7, 300-pound tackle, Diesch is extremely athletic, and posted a 9.75 Relative Athletic Score during his pre-draft testing in 2022 thanks to a 4.89-second 40-yard dash, 4.43-second shuttle, 32.5-inch vertical, and 9-foot-2 broad jump.
A Dallas native, Diesch started his college career at Texas A&M. He played four seasons with the Aggies, mainly as a reserve. He transferred to Arizona State in 2020 and immediately became a starter and two-time All-Pac 12 selection.
Diesch was listed as one of the best practice squad players in the NFL by CBS Sports in 2023, but was never elevated for a game with the Steelers.
The Steelers cut Diesch after using their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Washington tackle Troy Fautanu.
Diesch is the second former Steelers player to sign in the UFL this week, joining wide receiver Tyler Vaughns. The 2025 UFL season will kick off on March 28, again featuring eight teams and a 10-week regular season, leading up to the second UFL Championship on June 14.
