In the first and perhaps least surprising move of the upcoming free agency period, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Friday that they had released edge defender Preston Smith.
The Steelers traded for Smith from the Green Bay Packers at the trade deadline for a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Smith was supposed to come in and add some physicality on the outside to help with run support and offer some punch as a pass rusher but it never materialized.
Smith appeared in eight games for the Steelers, had zero starts and collected two sacks and 13 tackles. Releasing Smith saves the Steelers $13.4 million and adds it to the $40 million they already have going into free agency in less than a month.
Steelers announce they released LB Preston Smith. This was an expected move.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) February 14, 2025