Aug 20, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end DeMarvin Leal (98) reacts after a sack against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Steelers Release Former Third-Round Pick

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 9:35 AM ET

A once-promising player who has battled through his fair share of injuries, defensive lineman/outside linebacker DeMarvin Leal was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of today's 53-man roster deadline. He's now subject to waivers.

A third-round pick out of Texas A&M in the 2022 NFL Draft, Leal played all over the interior of the defensive line and served as an edge rusher with Pittsburgh, making him a versatile chess piece for Mike Tomlin's defense.

He played in 11 games and made two starts as a rookie, finishing with 14 tackles, but Pro Football Focus credited him with just four pressures alongside a rather poor 46.0 overall grade that year.

It was more of the same in 2023 for Leal, as he logged a sack and 15 tackles over 12 contests while playing 228 total snaps. He logged 77 reps in Pittsburgh's first five games during the 2024 campaign, but a neck injury he sustained against the Dallas Cowboys on October 6 ended his year.

Moving to outside linebacker on a full-time basis this summer, Leal simply didn't do enough to secure a roster spot at a position that also features the likes of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and rookie fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer.

While speaking about Leal's roster outlook this past Friday on 93.7 The Fan, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Brian Batko noted that his lack of special teams prowess in addition to his volatility on the field damaged his case for a 53-man spot.

“I think inconsistency is an issue there and also the not having a true position,” Batko said. “So, he might be the odd man out with as good as the outside linebacker room is. I think they only need to keep four and then you start using special teams to separate from the other guys and the inside linebackers are more helpful on special teams than Leal.”

Leal appeared in all three of Pittsburgh's preseason games this year, putting up five tackles and a quarterback hit.

Though he's shown off some impressive athletic traits in the past, an overall lack of production and the presence of more suitable options both off the edge and on the interior of the defensive line made it tough for the Steelers to rationalize keeping Leal on their roster.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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