Last week, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked directly about guard David DeCastro not participating in a post-practice press conference.
While DeCastro was present, he was not out on the field.
TribLive’s Joe Rutter asked specifically about why DeCastro wasn’t out there.
“If I thought injury circumstances or reasons why people were not participating were significant, I would share them with you,” Tomlin said.
In fact, Tomlin was pressed a few times — probably more to do with Ben Roethlisberger than anything. He clearly skirted the issue, continuing to say there was no concern whatsoever.
It turns out DeCastro’s injury “circumstances” were so dire that the Steelers flat out cut him on Thursday.
The veteran guard had been dealing with nagging ankle and knee injuries for a good part of 2020, and his production had been on the decline for a couple of seasons.
In all fairness, the league does not require coaches to disclose injury information during offseason activities.
The Steelers agreed to terms with five-time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner mere hours after DeCastro’s release.
