Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers are re-signing outside linebacker and defensive end DeMarvin Leal to their practice squad, according to a report by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
The Steelers placed Leal on waivers on Tuesday, the first time the former third-round draft pick had been available to the rest of the league, but he cleared waivers, and chose to re-sign with the team that drafted him.
Leal, 25, is a bit of a surprise to return to the team, as he has always been a bit of an awkward fit in the Pittsburgh defensive scheme.
The Steelers bounced Leal back and forth between defensive tackle and outside linebacker over his three seasons in Pittsburgh. A neck injury limited him to just five games played in 2024.
On the other side of that injury, the Steelers committed to playing Leal at outside linebacker for the 2025 season. But they also drafted Jack Sawyer in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, pushing Leal to the fifth spot on the depth chart, and eventually causing his release.
Leal got a long look for the Steelers in the preseason, with T.J. Watt not participating and Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig both dealing with injuries. Despite 104 defensive snaps over four games, he was able to amass just five tackles, no sacks and five quarterback pressures.
Players on the practice squad are free to sign with other teams at any time. The Steelers have a maximum of 17 slots on their practice squad, which is usually filled by a combination of players the team released and cuts from other squads.
MORE: Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 Practice Squad Signings Tracker
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Re-Sign Just-Released former Draft Pick
