The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding even more depth to their defensive line.
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo to their practice squad just one day after releasing him as part of the team's final roster cuts, the team announced .
Otomewo, 27, had re-signed with the Steelers this spring on a one-year contract. In three preseason games, he had three tackles, one pass defended and one quarterback hit.
He first joined the Steelers in 2025 and started the year out way down the depth chart. Otomewo started the season behind starters Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon , backups Daniel Ekuale , Dean Lowry and Isaiahh Loudermilk , and young Steelers draft picks Logan Lee and Yayha Black .
However, thanks to a series of injuries and his strong play, he ended up getting several opportunities, and impressed in them.
Otomewo made his Steelers debut in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, playing 10 snaps. When Harmon missed time late in the year with a knee injury, Otomewo stepped into a bigger role. From Week 13 to Week 16, he played 37% of the team's defensive snaps, while the Steelers went 3-1.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Esezi Otomewo at training camp on Aug. 3, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Otomewo finished the season with 10 tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit and one sack, against the Miami Dolphins.
Otomewo signed with the team early last offseason after spending the last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 6-foot-5, 282-pound defensive lineman appeared in four games in 2024 while remaining on Jacksonville's practice squad and made two starts for the Jaguars, recording four tackles and two quarterback hits. He played a total of 90 defensive snaps and also was a multi-phase special teams player, working on kickoff return, kickoff coverage, punt return and field goal units.
Otomewo did not appear in a game at all in the 2023 season. The Indianapolis native was originally a fifth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2022 NFL Draft coming out of Minnesota. He played in five games, recording five tackles, one for a loss for the Vikings in 2022.
Alan Saunders contributed.
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