Steelers Release Former West Virginia Linebacker

By: Nick Farabaugh

The Steelers have released Pittsburgh native and former West Virginia linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, the team announced on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh signed Kwiatkoski after a successful tryout during the team’s mandatory minicamp across three days. They surprisingly let Tanner Muse go yesterday, leaving Kwiatkoski on the roster, but in the end, they only kept four inside linebackers. Kwon Alexander, Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Mark Robinson will comprise the team’s final inside linebacker corps. However, Kwiatkoski and Muse can return to the team’s practice squad.

Kwiatkoski played a tremendous first game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but suffered a right shoulder injury that would sideline him for the team’s home game against the Buffalo Bills. That injury knocked him out long enough to likely dent his roster chances just as a push seemed to be gaining steam.

Kwiatkoski, 30, is a Pittsburgh native. The 6-foot-2, 242-pound linebacker has played seven NFL seasons since joining the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He discussed what being back home in Pittsburgh with the team he grew up rooting for meant to him when training camp began.

WVU Product LB Nick Kwiatkoski Calls Being Home with Steelers ‘Awesome’

Kwiatkoski played in 57 games and made 22 starts over four seasons with Chicago, playing inside linebacker in the Bears’ 3-4 scheme. He had his most productive season in 2019, when he made eight starts and recorded career highs with 76 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks.

This story initially appeared on our partner site Steelers Now.