The Steelers have agreed to terms with defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale, according to his agency. The details of the contract are not yet known.
Ekuale, 31, signed with the Browns in 2018 as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State and has played in the past six NFL seasons. He spent 2019 with the Browns, 2020 with the Jaguars and the past four seasons with the Patriots. His 2024 season was his most productive as he was a starter for 16 games. He recorded 52 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and three quarterback hits.
Adding Ekuale gives the Steelers an interior defender that's stronger against the run than as a pass rusher, especially since he’s listed at 6-3 and 310 pounds. In 723 snaps last season, Ekuale recorded 26 stops, which is a stat by Pro Football Focus that counts the number of times a defender makes a tackle that constitutes a "failure" for the offense. For reference, Cam Heyward had 47 stops in 838 snaps last season and Keeanu Benton had 23 stops in 671 snaps.
I can't imagine this is an expensive signing. The 2024 season was the first time Ekuale started games since 2020. He might have done himself a favor to get a raise from the two-year, $3.4-million deal is previously played on with a respectable performance as a season-long starter. Either way, the Steelers now have another guy in the mix on the defensive line.
And I can guarantee you, whether it's in free agency or the draft, they're not done.
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
9:34 pm - 03.16.2025DowntownEkuale added to defensive line
The Steelers have agreed to terms with defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale, according to his agency. The details of the contract are not yet known.
Ekuale, 31, signed with the Browns in 2018 as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State and has played in the past six NFL seasons. He spent 2019 with the Browns, 2020 with the Jaguars and the past four seasons with the Patriots. His 2024 season was his most productive as he was a starter for 16 games. He recorded 52 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and three quarterback hits.
Adding Ekuale gives the Steelers an interior defender that's stronger against the run than as a pass rusher, especially since he’s listed at 6-3 and 310 pounds. In 723 snaps last season, Ekuale recorded 26 stops, which is a stat by Pro Football Focus that counts the number of times a defender makes a tackle that constitutes a "failure" for the offense. For reference, Cam Heyward had 47 stops in 838 snaps last season and Keeanu Benton had 23 stops in 671 snaps.
I can't imagine this is an expensive signing. The 2024 season was the first time Ekuale started games since 2020. He might have done himself a favor to get a raise from the two-year, $3.4-million deal is previously played on with a respectable performance as a season-long starter. Either way, the Steelers now have another guy in the mix on the defensive line.
And I can guarantee you, whether it's in free agency or the draft, they're not done.
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