Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Steelers' Key Defensive Depth Piece Suffers Unfortunate Season-Ending Injury

Originally posted on Steeler Nation | By Parker Abate | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 1:26 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers have completely revamped the roster throughout the 2025 offseason. While the offense has absorbed the majority of the headlines due to the additions of players like Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf, Head Coach Mike Tomlin's approach has always been to play strong defense in order to take some pressure off of the guys on the other side of the ball. The defensive line has its staples such as TJ Watt and Cameron Heyward, but it will be a group effort for the unit throughout the 2025 campaign. Unfortunately, one individual will not have the opportunity to play alongside his teammates in 2025.

Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin could be viewed as a coach on the hot seat with the amount of talent he has at his disposal. If the unit doesn't perform well, then a lot of questions will be asked and a scapegoat will be needed. During a recent training camp practice, an injury occurred that will affect the team's depth on the defensive line. The team announced on Saturday that veteran Dean Lowry was placed on Injured Reserve and will miss all of 2025.

We have signed DT Breiden Fehoko and placed DL Dean Lowry on the Reserve/Injured List. @BordasLaw

: https://t.co/gDO5k5vrUJ pic.twitter.com/CJFUuL0tBZ
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 2, 2025

Lowry signed with the Steelers in the 2024 offseason, and played in 12 games during his first campaign with the organization. He was preparing to enter his 10th professional season, but will unfortunately be watching from the sidelines. While Lowry only played roughly 21% of snaps in 2024, he has been viewed as an important player for depth purposes. His season-ending injury now opens the door for other players to step up.

As announced by the Steelers, a familiar face in Breiden Fehoko will join the team once again. He has yet to log a snap in a regular-season contest for the Steelers, but bounced on and off the practice squad several times in the 2023 season. It will be looked at as a positive that someone is stepping in who is used to Austin's system, but the loss of Lowry is certainly not idea this early in the year.

Steelers Will Be Asking A Lot Of Rookie Defensive Linemen

Both Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black will have opportunities to step up in 2025. Harmon, a first-round pick, is expected to be a starter, while Black now has a legitimate opportunity to get snaps after Lowry's injury. Pittsburgh will be focused on stopping the run and letting up a limited amount of points, so the expectation is that both Harmon and Black have exceptional rookie seasons.

This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: