Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale suffered a torn ACL in Sunday night’s loss to the Green Bay Packers, according to a report by Mike Garafalo of NFL Network.
Ekuale suffered a knee injury in the first half of the Steelers’ 35-25 loss to the Packers, when he was blocked from behind while rushing Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Though he walked off the field under his own power, Ekuale was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game, and will now be lost for the remainder of the 2025 season.
The 31-year-old is in his first season in Pittsburgh, and is on a one-year contract with the Steelers that will expire in March.
Ekuale played for the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots in his first six NFL seasons, becoming a starter for the Patriots for the first time in 2024 before joining the Steelers, where he accepted a role as the team’s backup nose tackle and No. 4 rotational defensive tackle.
In seven games this season, he finished with six tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit and one pass defended.
Fifth-round rookie Yahya Black will step into Ekuale’s role as the team’s second-string nose tackle behind Keeanu Benton, and Esezi Otomewo and Logan Lee will likely see elevated roles in terms of depth at defensive tackle.
Ekuale was one of three major injuries the Steelers suffered on Sunday night, along with strong safety DeShon Elliott (knee) and left guard Isaac Seumalo (pec). Their status moving forward have not been revealed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Defensive Lineman Out for Season after ACL Tear
