Peterson announced Friday that he will retire as a member of the Cardinals on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Peterson was selected by the Cardinals with the No. 5 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and he proved to be worth that high of a selection, as he made the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight seasons in Arizona while making the First-Team All-Pro three times (2011, 2013, 2015). He signed with Minnesota in 2021 and played for the Vikings for two seasons before playing for the Steelers in 2023, his last year of regular-season action. Peterson will end his 13-year NFL career with 652 tackles (571 solo), including 4.0 sacks, and 36 interceptions (including two pick-sixes) across 201 regular-season games.
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Steelers' James Pierre: Remains in Steel City
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The Steelers and Pierre agreed to a one-year contract Thursday, Teresa Varley of the team's official site reports.
Pierre spent the 2024 offseason and preseason with the Commanders but didn't make the team in advance of Week 1. He eventually landed on the Steelers' practice squad in September before joining the active roster outright by the end of that month, starting two of his 16 appearances (including playoffs). Overall, the five-year pro recorded his third campaign with at least 20 tackles (23 last season, to be precise) and added three pass defenses (including one interception) and two forced fumbles. Pierre again will serve as a depth option at cornerback and as a regular on special teams in 2025.
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Steelers' Isaiahh Loudermilk: Staying with Pittsburgh
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Loudermilk agreed to a one-year deal with the Steelers on Monday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
The rotational defensive lineman played in 16 regular-season games and Pittsburgh's only playoff game last year, recording 17 tackles (10 solo) in the regular season and three (two solo) in the playoff loss to Baltimore. The 2021 fifth-round pick of the Steelers made a career high 23 tackles (16 solo) during his rookie season.
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Bills' Larry Ogunjobi: Receives six-game suspension
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Ogunjobi has been suspended the first six regular-season games of the 2025 season for violation of the league's policy regarding performance-enhancing substances, Matt Parrino of The Syracuse Post-Standard reports.
Ogunjobi is fresh off signing a one-year deal with Buffalo, but his six-game suspension could make it more difficult for the veteran defensive lineman to challenge DaQuan Jones for a starting spot next to Ed Oliver. Across 15 regular-season appearances with Pittsburgh in 2024, he tallied 41 tackles (16 solo) and 1.5 sacks.
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Bills' Larry Ogunjobi: Bound for Buffalo
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The Bills will sign Ogunjobi to a one-year, $8.3 million contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Coming off the heels of a season with Pittsburgh in which he recorded 41 tackles (16 solo) and 1.5 sacks over 15 games, Ogunjobi is now set to suit up for a new squad. He figures to play a significant role on Buffalo's defensive line in 2025 and could challenge veteran DaQuan Jones for a starting spot next to Ed Oliver.
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Chargers' Donte Jackson: Inking deal with Chargers
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Jackson has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Chargers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The LSU product is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, recording 38 total tackles and eight passes defended, including a career-high five interceptions, over 15 regular-season games with the Steelers in 2024. With Jackson now in Los Angeles, he's expected to start as one of the team's top outside cornerbacks in 2025.
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Larry Ogunjobi: Done in Pittsburgh
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The Steelers released Ogunjobi on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Ogunjobi saw his role on the interior of Pittsburgh's defensive line shrink slightly in 2024, and now he's bound for free agency. He will turn 31 in June, so he could be an attractive option for another team looking to add a veteran presence on defense.
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Steelers' Cole Holcomb: Restructures contract
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Holcomb agreed to a revised contract Thursday and will remain with the Steelers this coming season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Prior to the adjustment, Holcomb was set to count $7.6 million against the salary cap, per Gerry DulacPittsburgh Post-Gazette, but the move will evidently save the Steelers $4 million against the cap and keep the linebacker with the team for his third consecutive season. The 28-year-old hasn't played since suffering a severe knee injury during Week 9 of the 2023 season, which some speculated could have been career threatening. Holcomb was fully practicing before the team's wild-card loss to the Ravens, so it's presumed he'll be available at the start of training camp next year.
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Keanu Neal: Hangs it up
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Neal (ribs) announced via social media Sunday that he is retiring from the NFL, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Neal last played in 2023 with the Steelers before he sustained a season-ending rib injury, which led the team to release him with a failed physical designation in March of 2024. The 2016 first-round pick played his first five years with the Falcons and was a Pro Bowler in 2017. He then missed almost the entire 2018 and 2019 campaigns before spending one last season in Atlanta, and he went on to play one year in Dallas and one in Tampa Bay before ending up with the Steelers. Neal finishes his eight-year career with 523 tackles, four interceptions and eight forced fumbles.
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Preston Smith: Let go by Pittsburgh
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The Steelers released Smith on Friday.
Smith began last season with Green Bay before he was traded to Pittsburgh in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick in early November. The veteran pass rusher recorded a sack in his first game with the Steelers in Week 10 but didn't notch another one until Week 18. Smith generally underperformed during his half season with Pittsburgh to the extent that he was a healthy scratch for the team's wild-card loss to Baltimore. By parting ways with Smith, the Steelers will clear $12 million in cap space for next season, per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
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Steelers' Preston Smith: Production falls off in 2024
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Smith tallied 32 total tackles (12 solo), including 4.5 sacks, over 17 regular-season games with the Packers and Steelers in 2024.
Smith was traded from the Packers to the Steelers in early November, but he was actually more productive during his time in Green Bay. The veteran pass rusher recorded six more tackles and 0.5 more sacks as a Packer, playing 138 additional defensive snaps despite appearing in only one more game. Smith's time in Pittsburgh may also be nearing an end, as he was a healthy scratch in two of the team's final three games this season. However, Smith remains under contract through 2026, so he could very well stay in Pittsburgh and serve as a rotational edge rusher next season.
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Steelers' Cameron Sutton: Starts two games in 2024
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Sutton made 15 tackles (seven solo) and three passes defensed across nine regular-season appearances (two starts) with the Steelers in 2024.
Sutton opened the 2024 campaign serving an eight-game suspension, relating to an incident last March in which he was charged with one misdemeanor count of domestic battery. Once eligible to retake the field, Sutton mostly contributed in a depth role for Pittsburgh, though down the stretch he took over a key role at slot cornerback. The 29-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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Steelers' Cory Trice: Makes six appearances in 2024
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Trice racked up 21 tackles (15 solo) and two passes defensed, including one interception, across six regular-season appearances with the Steelers in 2024.
Trice, a 2023 seventh-round pick, started Pittsburgh's final three games of the regular season, but he was then inactive for the team's wild-card round loss to the Ravens. This offseason, Trice will compete to earn a larger rotational role on defense, while continuing to operate as a contributor on special teams.
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Steelers' Nick Herbig: Posts 5.5 sacks in sophomore season
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Herbig registered 22 tackles, including 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two recovered fumbles over 13 regular-season games in 2024.
Herbig missed four contests due to a hamstring injury and logged more than half of Pittsburgh's defensive snaps in just five of the games in which he played, but he was very impactful when on the field. The second-year edge finished fourth on the Steelers with 5.5 sacks and second with four forced fumbles despite fluctuating opportunities. Herbig seems like a candidate to break out in 2025 in what will be the third year of his rookie contract, though that possibility could depend on whether Pittsburgh puts him on the field more often.
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Steelers' James Pierre: Holds rotational role in 2024
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Pierre recorded 23 tackles (17 solo), three pass defenses (including an interception) and two forced fumbles over 15 regular-season games in 2024.
Pierre recorded more snaps on special teams than on defense, though he did make two starts for the Steelers. The veteran cornerback got far more defensive snaps (196) than in the season prior, when he logged just 23. Pierre is set to be a free agent, and though he's valued by the Steelers for his role as a core special-teamer, he's not certain to be back with the team next season.
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Steelers' Damontae Kazee: Sees reduced role in 2024
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Kazee finished the 2024 regular season with 31 tackles (22 solo) and two pass defenses, including an interception, over 15 games.
Kazee started just one game this season after working mostly as a starter last year. Predictably, his numbers plummeted, though he still managed to record a pickoff for the fourth straight campaign. Kazee is set to become a free agent, and though he's been steady regardless of his role while with Pittsburgh, it's unclear if he'll be back with the Steelers next season.
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Steelers' Keeanu Benton: Logs more snaps in second season
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Benton finished the 2024 regular season with 36 tackles (16 solo), including 1.0 sacks, along with six defensed passes (one of which was an interception) and one fumble recovery over 17 contests.
Benton has yet to miss a game in his two-year NFL career. He was on the field more often this season than in his rookie campaign -- last year, he logged more than 50 percent of Pittsburgh's defensive snaps four times, while this season that number shot up to 13. However, Benton produced the exact same number of tackles and sacks, though he did boost his tally of pass defenses by four. His numbers aren't appealing in IDP leagues, but Benton has shown promise in his first two pro seasons and should maintain a steady role along Pittsburgh's defensive line in the third year of his rookie contract next season.
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Steelers' Donte Jackson: Sets career high in INTs in 2024
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Jackson registered 38 tackles (28 solo) and eight pass defenses, including five interceptions, over 15 games during the 2024 regular season.
Jackson's first year in Pittsburgh following six seasons with Carolina was overall a success, as he paced the team with five pickoffs, which was also his career-best mark. The LSU product mostly avoided injuries, though he did miss two games near the end of the campaign with a back issue. Jackson was playing on a one-year contract and will be a free agent this offseason.
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Steelers' Larry Ogunjobi: Remains consistent in 2024
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Ogunjobi posted 41 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, over 15 regular-season contests during the 2024 campaign.
Ogunjobi missed two games due to a groin injury late in the campaign but otherwise maintained a steady role along the Steelers' defensive line. He's finished with a tackle total in the 40s in five straight seasons and has logged between 1.5 and 3.0 sacks in all but one of those campaigns. Ogunjobi doesn't produce numbers that make him worthy of IDP consideration, but he's been a steady performer and will likely maintain the same role in 2025, when he'll be in the final year of the three-year deal he inked in 2023.
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Steelers' Beanie Bishop: Makes big impact as rookie
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Bishop tallied 45 tackles, including 0.5 sacks, along with seven pass defenses (four of which were interceptions) and one fumble recovery over 17 regular-season games in 2024.
Though Bishop had his share of struggles, it was impressive that he played in all 17 regular-season games given that he wasn't selected in April's NFL Draft. The West Virginia product notched three pickoffs during a two-week span in late October, and his four total INTs tied for second on the team. Bishop did see his playing time wane at the end of the campaign and into the playoffs, but he likely showed enough as a rookie to be given a chance to grow in Year 2.
