Steelers Cut Three Veterans on Eve of OTAs

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released three veteran players from their offseason roster on the eve of the start of organized team activities at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

On Monday, the club announced the release of inside linebacker Tae Crowder, outside linebacker Emeke Egbule and running back Master Teague.

The Steelers signed Crowder to their active roster from the New York Giants practice squad on Dec. 27. He did not appear in a game down the stretch run for the club, but remained under contract for 2023.

Crowder was a seventh-round pick of the Giants (and last pick of the draft overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft and played in 41 games and started 31 games with New York from 2020-22.

The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Crowder started seven games as a rookie in 2020 and all 17 in 2021, but lost his job in the middle of this season, when the team moved Jaylon Smith to inside linebacker. Crowder was waived by the Giants on Dec. 20, cleared and was re-signed to their practice squad.

Egbule, 26, had been with the Steelers since Dec. 7, when they added him to their practice squad. He did not appear in any games with the team during the 2022 season and was re-signed to a reserve/future contract on Jan. 10.

The 6-foot-2, 245-pound linebacker was originally the Chargers’ sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and played 32 games from 2019-21 for the Chargers, recording 13 tackles and two quarterback hits. Most of his contributions for Los Angeles came on special teams.

Teague ended his third stint with the Steelers. The big former Ohio State running back got a shot with the team after a string of injuries during training camp last season, but Teague suffered a major injury on Aug. 16, leaving practice at St. Vincent College on a cart.

He was waived/injured, but the Steelers brought him back on Nov. 23, adding him to the practice squad for a short time before releasing him again. Teague came back to the Steelers on a reserve/future contract for 2023 on Jan. 10.

In addition to the trio of releases, the Steelers also signed rookie free agent outside linebacker Toby Ndukwe. The club’s offseason roster is now at 87 players before the start of OTAs on Tuesday.