Steelers release pass rusher they just acquired at the trade deadline

When the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired outside linebacker Preston Smith before the trade deadline, they were among the top teams in the AFC standings. The hope was that Smith could join the pass rush rotation across from star outside linebacker T.J. Watt and help the Steelers make a deep playoff push. 

Of course, that didn’t happen. While the Lombardi Trophy returned to Pennsylvania, it didn’t wind up in Pittsburgh. The Steelers lost five straight games, including a demoralizing Wild Card Round loss against the Baltimore Ravens, to close out their season. With their sights set on the future, the Steelers are already beginning to clear salary cap space in an effort to revamp their roster once again.

The Steelers released Smith on Friday to save $13.4 million in salary cap space, per ESPN. The Steelers had approximately $43.1 million in salary cap space before Smith’s release, according to Spotrac.

Steelers release Preston Smith just nine games after trading for him

The Steelers acquired the veteran pass rusher from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a seventh-round pick. He was one of several low-risk trade acquisitions and free agency signings made by Steelers general manager Omar Khan. While some of those additions paid off, Smith’s time in Pittsburgh was underwhelming. The 33-year-old recorded two sacks, one fumble recovery and 13 combined tackles in eight games with the Steelers. He was inactive in two of the team’s final three games, including their playoff loss.

Smith was selected in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders, and he joined the Packers after his rookie contract expired. Smith posted at least eight sacks in four of his first five seasons in Green Bay, but his production took a significant dip during the 2024 season.

Smith requested a trade out of Green Bay after new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley implemented a new scheme. The 10-year veteran spent the majority of his career as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, but he was moved to defensive end when Hafley switched the team’s base personnel to a 4-3 front. Smith didn’t feel comfortable with the scheme change, which proved to be detrimental to his production. He notched just 2.5 sacks over nine games as a defensive end.

The Steelers allowed him to return to outside linebacker in a 3-4 front, and Smith initially said he “loves the scheme,” according to Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live. Still, Smith only played 30 percent of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps as he worked behind starting outside linebacker Alex Highsmith. He finished with just 469 defensive snaps, the fewest of his career.

The Steelers have lost five straight playoff games, including four wild-card round games. Despite their decorated history, the Steelers have slowly entered a downward trajectory in recent years. The team has struggled to replace former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who guided the team to two Super Bowl championships during his career.