The Steelers released veteran guard David DeCastro this week, due to a chronic ankle problem. The team surprisingly described the situation as a non-football injury.
Jim Colony of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh asked DeCastro about the NFI designation. Said DeCastro: “The owners are billionaires for a reason.”
The decision to describe DeCastro’s condition as a non-football injury insulates the Steelers from any further financial responsibility to DeCastro. It also covers the tracks that could lead to a finding that the Steelers violated the injury-reporting rules, given DeCastro’s explanation that he dealt with the ankle injury all season long.
Given DeCastro’s candor, it’ll be interesting to see where it goes from here. Will there be a grievance? Will DeCastro say enough about his ankle injury in 2020 to get the NFL to investigate the situation and fine the team?
Stay tuned. DeCastro doesn’t seem particularly thrilled about what happened, and he has rights. If he chooses to exercise them, things could get delicate for the Steelers.
David DeCastro has a very pragmatic viewpoint of why he was released originally appeared on Pro Football Talk