NFL Punishment Announcement Carries $300,000 Consequence

Ekuale joined the Steelers in the offseason via free agency. He spent the last four years with the New England Patriots, who decided not to renew his contract. The former Washington State Cougars standout put pen to paper on a one-year deal with Pittsburgh worth $2.8 million.

Unfortunately for Ekuale, his season ended in Week 8 as the Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers, 35-25. The 31-year-old tore his ACL during the game, which turned out to be a season-ending injury. Ekuale, who registered six total tackles (four solo), one quarterback hit and one pass defended in 11 games played, has since been on injured reserve for Pittsburgh.

The NFL’s decision on Ekuale's violation was published in a report by Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk on Tuesday.

“The NFL suspended Steelers defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy, the league announced Tuesday.

“Ekuale is suspended without pay for the next five games,” the report read.

Ekuale’s contract with the Steelers includes a $1.63 million signing bonus. His base salary is $1.17 million, which will serve as the basis for the weekly salary withheld during his suspension.

According to the NFL’s rulebook, “when a player is suspended for a game, he forfeits 1/17th of his base salary” in a 17-game season.  Based on Ekuale’s $1.17 million base salary for 2025, his weekly gameday check is $68,823.53. Since he’s not going to be paid for the next five games, this will amount to a total loss of $344,117.65, excluding any potential salary-based incentives or roster bonuses.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time Ekuale has been punished by the NFL for violating the PES policy. In 2018, while still with the Cleveland Browns, Ekuale was suspended for four games for a similar offense.