Steelers rookie DL DeMarvin Leal returns to practice, remains on IR
Defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal returned to Pittsburgh Steelers practice Wednesday, activating a 21-day window during which the rookie must be added to the 53-man roster off the injured reserve list or be lost for the season.
Leal was placed on IR on Oct. 15 because of a knee injury and has missed the four games required by league rules. Leal, the Steelers’ third-round pick out of Texas A&M in April, had surgery on his right knee last month.
Leal started his most recent game, Oct. 9 at the Buffalo Bills, and had worked his way up the Steelers’ rotation on the defensive line that he had played 50 defensive snaps over the two games before his injury.
Leal has nine tackles (five solo, one for loss) in five games this season.
The Steelers defensive line has veterans Chris Wormley and Tyson Alualu in addition to the starting trio of Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi and Montravius Adams. Second-year player Isaiahh Loudermilk has taken Leal’s spot on the gameday roster since Leal’s injury.
Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.