Defensive end Brett Keisel said last month that he knew the end of his playing days was getting close, but that he wasn’t ready to call it a day just yet.
The Steelers won’t be keeping him on the roster until he makes a final decision about his plans for the 2015 season. The team announced Monday that they have released Keisel.
“We have informed Brett Keisel that we plan to release him today,” Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert said in a statement. “We have had conversations with Brett over the past couple of weeks during which we communicated our intentions to him. Brett has played a major role in our success during his 13 years in Pittsburgh. We appreciate his efforts and we are grateful for what he helped us accomplish, including two Super Bowl Championships. We will always consider him an all-time Pittsburgh Steeler.”
The move clears $1.5 million in cap space and probably doesn’t close the door on a return down the line since the Steelers wound up bringing Keisel back last summer after months of uncertainty about Keisel continuing his career in 2014. He wound up playing 12 games before a tricep injury forced him onto injured reserve.
Keisel’s release is part of a busy day for the Steelers, who have also re-signed linebacker Arthur Moats and tight end Matt Spaeth.
