Steelers Release Preston Smith
p/c: Todd Rosenberg
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ first player transaction of the offseason was made on Friday, as veteran outside linebacker Preston Smith has been released, the team announced.
General manager Omar Khan acquired Smith from the Green Bay Packers at the trade deadline, in which was considered a surprising move. Pittsburgh sent Green Bay a 2025 seventh round draft pick.
Smith dressed in eight games for the Steelers. He recorded only 13 combined tackles, along with a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery.
The release of Smith becomes a significant cost savings for Pittsburgh, as the 32-year-old OLB has a cap hit of $13.4 million next season and $14.1 million for 2026.
Given that the Steelers have TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig, Omar Khan could look to either sign a fourth OLB, to a cheaper deal, or address one late in the draft.