Pittsburgh Steelers place defensive tackle Daniel Archibong on reserve/retired list

The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed defensive tackle Daniel Archibong on the reserve/retired list, according to a report from NBC’s Pro Football Talk. Archibong went undrafted out of Temple in 2021 before signing with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.

The Bears chose to waive him after training camp this past August and he landed on the Steelers practice squad a day later. He made his NFL debut in Week 11 last season against the Los Angeles Chargers. Archibong was credited with two tackles while playing 13 defensive snaps and six special teams snaps. He signed a reserve/future contract with Pittsburgh this past January.

The reserves/retired list is utilized for a player who retires prior to his contract expiring. The Steelers still have Daniel Archibong’s rights should he decide to again play football. His deal will not count against the salary cap with his placement on the list, being treated as if he were cut by the team from a financial perspective. 

A former three-star recruit, Archibong ranked as the No. 130 defensive lineman and No. 1526 overall prospect in the 2016 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. He chose Temple over offers from Army, Connecticut, Massachusetts and a host of others. Archibong finished his collegiate career with 89 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and eight passes defended in 48 games played.

The Steelers are coming off of back-to-back playoff appearances and have not finished below .500 since 2003. The team has always had a reputation for elite defense and expects nothing less in 2022. Even with the loss of Archibong, Pittsburgh still boasts some of the top defensive linemen in the league with Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi and Tyson Alualu.

The Steelers will open the 2022 season on Sept. 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals.