Steelers Release former WVU Long Snapper

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released former West Virginia long snapper Rex Sunahara, the team announced on Saturday.

Sunahara signed with the Steelers in June had been competing with Christian Kuntz for the Steelers’ lone long snapper job, but worked almost exclusively with fellow backup specialists, kicker B.T. Potter and punter Braden Mann throughout training camp. Potter was also released on Saturday. Mann remains on the team.

The 6-foot-6, 242-pound Sunahara was in his second stint with the Steelers after spending time on the practice squad in 2021 and was on the offseason roster for part of 2022.

A basketball player at Rhode Island before transferring to West Virginia to become a long snapper, Sunahara was the Mountaineers’ primary long snapper in 2018 and 2019.

After that season he was a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award and participated in the 2020 NFLPA Collegiate All-Star Game and 2020 Hula Bowl.

Sunahara signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent, but was released. He re-signed with the Dolphins in January on a reserve/future contract for the 2021 season. He was released in July, re-signed in August, and then released again on Aug. 10 before catching on with the Steelers late that year.

This spring, Sunahara played with the Arlington Renegades of the XFL.

“I loved the XFL,” Sunahara said. “My team was great. I got to play for Hines Ward. … I wouldn’t be here without the XFL.”

The Steelers must cut down from their 90-player offseason roster to the NFL-mandated 53-man limit by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.