Amid all of the NFL free agency madness on March 10 — none of which is official until Wednesday, March 12 — the Pittsburgh Steelers announced three roster moves that are set in stone.
“We have tendered an offer to restricted free agent RB Jaylen Warren, signed C Ryan McCollum to a one-year contract and released DT Larry Ogunjobi,” the Steelers relayed on X.
ESPN Steelers beat reporter Brooke Pryor followed up on the Ogunjobi portion of this trio of transactions on March 10, informing: “[The] Steelers have informed DE Larry Ogunjobi he’s being released, source confirms. Move saves the Steelers $7 million in cap space.”
Although Ogunjobi’s eventual cut was anticipated by most, it’s still big news anytime a starter is released. And this decision is important, because as Pryor noted, it also sheds $7 million in cap space that could be utilized elsewhere this week.
Ogunjobi originally re-signed in Pittsburgh on a three-year, $28.75 million contract in 2023. He played out two of those seasons, earning $21.75 million — or 75.7% of the deal according to Over the Cap.
The Steelers will also incur a dead money hit of approximately $3.533 million upon parting ways with the soon-to-be 31-year-old defensive tackle.
Recapping Larry Ogunjobi’s Tenure With Steelers
Ogunjobi played three seasons in Pittsburgh, as his tenure initially began with a one-year deal.
He started out okay — earning a secondary contract to return — but then he quickly regressed over the course of his time with the Steelers according to Pro Football Focus.
Last year in 2024, Ogunjobi’s run defense really fell off a cliff with a 41.6 grade (out of 100) on PFF. His tackling marks have never been very good, but they weren’t great in year three either as the veteran missed 6 tackles at a percentage of 13.0%.
The missed tackles have always been an issue for Ogunjobi though. Since 2017, he has a career missed tackle rate of 13.0%. His high mark in Pittsburgh was actually in 2023, when he missed 15.5% of his attempts, but Ogunjobi at least registered more “key” defensive stops a season ago with 25 compared to just 18 this year.
Considering Ogunjobi’s major job is to stop the run, both of those grades are concerning.
On his career, he has 56 regular season tackles for a loss according to Pro Football Reference. Only 15 of those came during his time in Pittsburgh.
As a pass rusher, Ogunjobi provided even less with just 6.0 sacks in 48 games.
Latest Steelers QB Rumors: Aaron Rodgers & Russell Wilson Headline Remaining Targets
In other news, the Steelers saw Justin Fields skip town on March 10, as he elected to agree to sign with the New York Jets in free agency.
So, where does that leave the Steelers?
Just before 2 p.m. (EST), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette insider Gerry Dulac confirmed that the “Steelers [are] in discussions with Aaron Rodgers but [a] deal is not imminent, per sources.”
Later, at 5:15 p.m. (EST), Dulac noted that Rodgers and the Steelers were “still talking.”
Most believe that the four-time NFL MVP is deciding between Pittsburgh and the New York Giants, which would be more of a lateral move in terms of his living situation, having played for the Jets last year. Having said that, the Steelers were a playoff team in 2024, while the Giants ranked near the bottom of the league.
SNY Giants and Jets insider Connor Hughes also reiterated that Rodgers could still be an option for the Minnesota Vikings if former Giants QB Daniel Jones signs elsewhere in free agency. If that does not occur, here’s what Hughes said about the Giants and Steelers’ pursuit of Rodgers.
“Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback the Giants want,” Hughes reported on March 10. “They’re waiting to find out if he wants them. Most league sources I touch base with believe Rodgers is headed to Steelers, which would lead the Giants to Russell Wilson. The problem: The [Tennessee] Titans, and others, are interested in Wilson, too.”
Of course, a Wilson reunion could also be the Steelers’ backup plan, assuming Pittsburgh has not burned that bridge targeting other quarterbacks.
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