Steelers DT Daniel Ekuale suspended five games

Daniel Ekuale was already out for the season, but now the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle will have to forego a paycheck over the next five weeks. That’s because Ekuale was slapped with a five-game suspension Tuesday, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Ekuale earned his temporary ban for violating the league’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy, per Dulac. This represents the third suspension of the player’s career; Ekuale earned a four-game ban in 2018 and a two-game suspension in 2022 for the same violation.

The Washington State product bounced around the NFL a bit to begin his career before finding a home with the New England Patriots. He spent four seasons with the Patriots, but he didn’t emerge as a key player until 2024. Ekuale finished that season having started all 16 of his appearance, with the defensive lineman setting career-highs in tackles (52) and QB hits (three). In 64 career games, the 31-year-old has collected 97 stops and six sacks.

His performance with the Patriots earned him a one-year, $2.8M deal from the Steelers this past offseason. He got into seven games with his new squad, appearing in about 14% of his team’s defensive snaps. Ekuale suffered a torn ACL back in Week 8 that ended his season prematurely. Considering that injury and his continued bans from the league office, the defensive lineman may face an uphill battle to find a job in 2026.