Steelers Reunite With Rookie Preseason Standout

The move comes after Tampa Bay signed Castro to its 53-man roster off Pittsburgh's practice squad at the end of September.

Castro's First Stint with Steelers

Castro, who was once viewed as a top prospect at safety, ultimately went undrafted back in April and went on to sign with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent.

With the depth chart at safety somewhat lacking behind Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhill when he first joined the team, there was some thought that Castro could've found a way to sneak onto the Steelers' 53-man roster if he were to perform well during training camp and the preseason.

Castro's odds of making the roster improved when Fitzpatrick was dealt to the Miami Dolphins for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith in June, and while he appeared in all three of the Steelers' preseason games, recording 11 tackles over that span, he didn't do enough to earn a spot on the team entering Week 1.

He stuck around on Pittsburgh's practice squad until he was picked up by the Buccaneers, but he was never elevated on game day.

Could Castro Help Steelers This Season?

As a member of the Buccaneers, Castro appeared in one game (Week 6 vs. San Francisco 49ers) and picked up the first regular season tackle of his career while logging six special teams snaps.

The 25-year-old did not earn any playing time on the defensive side of the ball while with Tampa Bay, and it'll be tough to do so now that he's back with the Steelers as well.

Pittsburgh seems content sticking with Jalen Ramsey and Kyle Dugger as its starting duo at safety, and Chuck Clark as well as Jabrill Peppers are in line for more opportunities over Castro as the team's top depth options at the position as well.

Castro could certainly make an impact on special teams, though. While he only appeared on the Buccaneers' kick coverage unit, he got playing time on the kick return, punt coverage, punt return and field goal/extra-point block units during the preseason with Pittsburgh.

Perhaps Castro could continue developing this year to a point where he's considered an option at safety heading into the 2026 campaign, but for now he's fighting an uphill battle when it comes to seeing the field on defense as a rookie.