Sports

Steelers Release Veteran Six-Time Pro Bowler, Two-Time AP All-Pro

The Steelers made a surprise move Thursday by getting rid of one of their longest-tenured players.

(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Steelers remake of their offensive line continued Thursday with the release of veteran guard David DeCastro.

The surprising move comes on the heels of the off-season departures of two other offensive line starters from last season. Center Maurkice Pouncey retired and free-agent tackle Alejandro Villanueva signed with the Baltimore Ravens.

"David was without a doubt one of the premier offensive linemen during his time with us," Steelers General Manager and Vice President Kevin Colbert said in a news release.

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"He helped us win a lot of football games, but it was David's consistency, reliability and professionalism that stood out more than anything else. We wish him the best moving forward
in his career."

DeCastro was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the 24th pick overall, out of Stanford.

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During his nine-year Steelers' career, he played in 125 games. His 124 career starts rank 11th all-time among Steelers offensive lineman and sixth among guards.

He was voted AP first-team All-Pro twice (2015, 2017), and second-team All-Pro once (2016). He was also voted to six straight Pro Bowls (2015-2020), including last season despite missing playing time.

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