The Pittsburgh Steelers are cutting ties with a young defensive tackle, clearing room for the return of a longtime veteran.
The team announced that defensive end Jahvaree Ritzie was waived, months after the team had signed him to a reserve/futures contract. Ritzie was seen as a strong NFL prospect coming out of North Carolina last year, but has yet to play in an NFL game and will now be forced to look for a new team.
Steelers Clear Roster Room By Cutting Jahvaree Ritzie
The Steelers had signed Ritzie to a reserve/futures contract in January. He originally signed with the New England Patriots last year after going undrafted, failing to make the team’s final roster but being signed to the practice squad. Ritzie didn’t make it to the regular season, however, being released on Sept. 2.
As the Steelers noted when first signing Ritzie, he had a productive college career before moving to the NFL.
“Ritzie played college football at North Carolina, where he appeared in 51 games,” the team announced. “He finished his college career with 138 tackles, 58 of them solo stops, 10.5 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, three passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one interception.”
The Steelers released Ritzie to make room on the roster for the return of Dean Lowry, who lost his 2025 season due to injury. Lowry appeared in 12 games for the Steelers in 2024, making five total tackles and one sack.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that Lowry was taking his time making a decision in free agency.
“Upon further review: Dean Lowry has decided to take a little more time to work into playing shape,” Rapoport posted on X. “He did not take a physical, but he has been fully cleared from last season’s injury.”
The tradeoff is likely a strong one for the Steelers, adding a trusted player and parting ways with one who has yet to play an NFL snap. Lowry is expected to once again compete for a spot on the depth chart, and the 10-year veteran is also a regular on special teams.
Jahvaree Ritzie Searching for New NFL Home
Ritzie earned some buzz when he came out of North Carolina last year, with NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein predicting he could compete for a spot as a reserve or on an NFL practice squad.
Zierlein noted that the defensive lineman had some areas that needed improvement, but he had strong NFL potential.
“Ritzie put together solid production in his first season as a full-time starter,” Zierlein wrote. “He plays with adequate early hands and good base width to take on blocks but sets shallow anchors against add-on blockers that prevent him from effectively defending his turf.”
But Zierlein added that Ritzie would need to work on his deficiencies before making a serious bid for an NFL roster — which he will now need to do with another team.
“Ritzie isn’t quick enough or explosive enough for me to project disruption from him in either phase. He might be fighting for a back-end roster spot in camp,” Zierlein wrote.
Steelers Part Ways With Promising DE Months After Signing Him