The Mike Tomlin-John Harbaugh rivalry has officially ended. But that doesn’t mean Harbaugh won’t continue his rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While that might be difficult to do since the Steelers and New York Giants are in separate conferences, Harbaugh and the Giants can do things to stoke the hatred flames, such as sign former Steelers’ DeMarvin Leal.
The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov reported Thursday night the Giants have signed Leal to a futures contract.
The Steelers drafted Leal in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In four seasons with the Steelers, he posted 35 combined tackles, including three tackles for loss. Leal also registered three quarterback hits and four pass defenses.
DeMarvin Leal Joins John Harbaugh With New York Giants
Maybe it shouldn’t be shocking that Leal became the Giants’ first signing after landing Harbaugh as their next head coach. With Leal spending the past four years with the Steelers, Harbaugh was obviously previously familiar with him.
Leal entered the league with high upside, but NFL draft experts also argued his skills placed him between a defensive lineman and outside linebacker.
“Leal possesses adequate rush skills and knows how to craft a rush plan, but a lack of suddenness and closing burst turns potential sacks into hurries without the help of a long pocket count,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “When the motor is cranked up, he can stack and slide past run blockers with efficiency and quickness.
“Most will see him as an even-front defender in some capacity, but playing 3-4 DE might be his best fit as a pro.”
Leal struggled to find a role with the Steelers. In 11 games as a rookie, he posted 14 combined tackles with three pass defenses.
During 2023, All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward suffered a serious groin injury in Week 1. Leal wasn’t going to be a direct replacement for him, but Leal had an opportunity to play more and make a bigger impact.
He struggled to do that, though, and by the end of the season, he was a healthy scratch in most games.
Steelers then head coach Mike Tomlin placed pressure on Leal in his post-season press conference in January 2024. Leal dressed in the team’s first five games of 2024 but then he landed on injured reserve for the rest of the campaign.
Leal didn’t make the Steelers roster out of training camp this past year. But he spent most of the season on the team’s practice squad.
In four years, Leal never played more than 25% of the team’s defensive snaps over the course of a season.
Steelers Signing Players to Future Deals
Although the Steelers have yet to hire a new head coach, they have been adding players to their offseason roster.
Given his experience and the fact he’s still only 25 years old, it’s a little surprising the Steelers didn’t ink Leal to a futures deal.
But they’ve had ample opportunity. The Steelers have signed 20 players to reserve/futures contracts over the past week.
Clearly, the Steelers didn’t want to retain the former third-rounder. Leal will now try to continue his career with Harbaugh.
Of the 20 players the Steelers have signed to futures deals, four of them have been defensive linemen.
Ex-Steelers Day 2 Pick Signs With John Harbaugh’s New York Giants