Steelers Release Veteran DT Days After Drafting Pair of Defensive Linemen: Report

The Pittsburgh Steelers bolstered their defensive line with young talent in the 2025 NFL Draft. On Monday, the Steelers cleared a little room for that young talent to have an opportunity to play immediately with the release of Montravius Adams.

The team also saved some additional cap space.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday morning the Steelers released Adams. The official Steelers Depot X (formerly Twitter) account tweeted cutting Adams will save the Steelers $2.25 million in cap space after top 51 roster displacement.

Adams will have a dead cap hit of $875,000 with the team.

The Steelers released Adams four days after selecting Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Pittsburgh also grabbed Iowa defensive tackle Yahya Black at No. 164 overall in the fifth round Saturday.

Steelers Parting Ways With DT Montravius Adams

The Steelers released Adams after four seasons with the team.

He originally joined Pittsburgh midway through the 2021 campaign. The New Orleans Saints waived Adams on November 16 of that season. The Steelers then signed him on November 30. He appeared in five games for Pittsburgh in 2021.

Adams agreed to return on a two-year extension after the 2021 season. Last offseason, Adams again signed a new two-year contract.

The Steelers are releasing him one year into that new deal.

During the 2024 season, Adams posted 14 combined tackles, including two tackles for loss. He also had one sack and one quarterback hit in 11 games.

Adams saw his playing time greatly diminished in 2024, in part because All-Pro Cameron Heyward was healthy. During 2023, when Heyward missed half the season and played the other half through a groin injury, Adams lined up for a career-high 416 defensive snaps. He also had 61 special teams snaps in 2023.

Last season, Adams lined up for 188 defensive snaps and 19 on special teams.

The 29-year-old began his career as a third-round pick for the Green Bay Packers in the 2017 NFL Draft. Like the Steelers, Adams played parts of four seasons with Green Bay.

Adams appeared in one more game for the Steelers than Packers, but he started 21 contests in Pittsburgh versus three in Green Bay.

In between the Steelers and Packers, Adams had a tenure with the Saints and New England Patriots.

Over eight NFL seasons, Adams has posted 123 combined tackles, including 11 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 96 games. He registered 72 combined tackles, six tackles for loss and one sack with Pittsburgh.

Of Adams’ 25 career starts, 21 of them occurred with the Steelers.

Steelers Draft Two Defensive Linemen in 2025 NFL Draft

Adams provided strong depth for the Steelers defensive line over the last few years. But the team was long overdue for an influx of young talent along the unit.

With Harmon and Black, the Steelers now have three defensive linemen 23 years old or younger. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the team selected defensive tackle Keeanu Benton in the second round.

Benton and Harmon could both start next to Heyward.

As a fifth-round pick, Black isn’t guaranteed to contribute. But the release of Adams appears to be a sign that the Steelers want Black to have an opportunity for playing time.

The Steelers have several other defensive linemen on their offseason roster. Without Adams, Isaiahh Loudermilk becomes the most experienced depth lineman for Pittsburgh’s defense.

2024 sixth-round pick Logan Lee could have an opportunity for playing time. Lee and Black were college teammates at Iowa. Lee didn’t appear in a regular season game last year.