The Pittsburgh Steelers have waived undrafted rookie outside linebacker David Perales as part of the team’s final cut-down to 53 players, the team announced on Tuesday.
Perales, who joined the Steelers after the draft as a UDFA out of Fresno State, was in competition to be the team’s fifth outside linebacker, behind starters T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith and backups Markus Golden and Nick Herbig.
He played extensively in the preseason, getting 50 snaps of defense in the opener against the Tampa Bay Bills, and steadily improving his play. He played 30 snaps against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 and 20 against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3, but saw his PFF grade climb from 42.0 to 48.0 to 63.1. Perales finished the preseason with four tackles and one quarterback hurry.
A hyper-productive college player, Perales played in all 14 games for the Bulldogs in 2022 and totaled 47 combined tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. His best game of last season came against San Jose State when he recorded a career-high five tackles for loss and four sacks in that single game.
Following the season, Perales earned first-team All-Mountain West honors for his stellar play. His 16 tackles for loss were the most in a season by a Bulldog since 2015. His 11.5 sacks ranked seventh in the entirety of the FBS.
Perales broke out in 2021 as he finished the season with a whooping 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks for the Bulldogs. In 13 appearances, Perales tacked on 45 total tackles and three forced fumbles. Following the season, Perales was named to the second-team All-Mountain West for the second season in a row.
Before his time at Fresno, he played for FCS Sacramento State and at the junior college level with Merced Junior College.
The Steelers must cut down to 53 players by 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Players on waivers like Perales will remain there until noon on Wednesday, at which point, players that clear can be signed to practice squads.
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