Mountaineers in the Pros
Steelers Sign WVU Product Doug Nester to New Contract for 2026
Despite the coaching transition, the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed WVU product Doug Nester to a new contract for the 2026 season. Nester’s agent Brett Tessler announced the deal on Thursday morning.
The Steelers decision to keep Nester around comes after he rejoined their practiced squad towards the end of the 2025 season on Dec. 11.
A 25-year-old West Virginia alum, Nester signed with the Steelers to their practice squad on Aug. 28, 2024, after having been in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings. Nester played in two preseason games for the Vikings, earning 69 snaps of playing time, all at right guard. With the Steelers, Nester worked at both tackle and guard on the practice squad, but did not appear in any games.
The 6-foot-7, 320-pound native of Kenya, W.Va., first attended Virginia Tech for his first two collegiate seasons before transferring to WVU. Nester started 10 games as a true freshman at right guard for the Hokies in 2019 and seven more in 2020.
WVSN photo by Kelsie LeRose
After transferring to West Virginia, he stated every game in 2021 and 2022 at right guard, before moving to right tackle for his redshirt senior season in 2023.
Nester participated in both the Hula Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game in the pre-draft process, with the Steelers scouting him heavily at the latter stop.
WVSN photo by Kelsie LeRose
Despite his size, Nester did not test well leading up the draft, running a 5.31-second 40-yard dash and posting just 19 reps on the bench press. He had a total Relative Athletic Score of 3.35 of out 10.
WV Sports Now’s partners at Steelers Now helped with this story.
Find more coverage of Doug Nester at WV Sports Now.
