Steelers Were Rejected By Former Undrafted Free Agent In Favor Of Better Opportunity

The Pittsburgh Steelers are always looking for under-the-radar players to add to the team as the season goes on. It's nearly impossible to roll with the 68-69 guys that a team begins the season with the entire year as injuries pile up, so there is always a need to address somewhere (even if it's just filled with a practice squad signing). General Manager Omar Khan is constantly trying to find key pieces to add to the team, even if his coaching staff disagrees with his methodology. Either way, there is never a moment where Pittsburgh won't consider signing someone. 

These signings don't always work out, but sometimes, being told "no" hurts more. While commentating the Monday Night Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders, Joe Buck told a story about how one prospect for the 49ers could have had a spot in Pittsburgh, but turned it down.

"I know we're wearing it out on Sebastian Valdez, but it brings up the bigger point," Buck said. "He got an offer from the Steelers to leave the practice squad toward the end of last year, and he said, 'I'm staying...' There's something going on in this organization where there's a real trust between players and management."

Defensive lineman Sebastian Valdez spent his entire rookie season on the 49ers' practice squad. The Steelers were clearly intrigued enough by his practice / preseason tape that they had him on their shortlist of players to call when they want depth. Late in the 2025 season, Khan clearly felt it was the right time to give him a call, but he turned them down due to a promise that San Francisco gave him.

Buck spoke about this story, as the 49ers promised that Valdez would be the next man up at defensive line if something were to happen. They let him know that they had no intentions to trade for anyone to come in and push him down the depth chart. At first, that overarching statement seemed to be false, as he was once again cut in August and brought back to the practice squad. 

In Week 3, Valdez was elevated to the active roster, where he recorded three tackles in a 36-30 win. Prior to the Week 4 game, he was officially signed to San Francisco's 53-man roster, and he hasn't just been a backup. In Week 6, the former undrafted free agent recorded his first ever sack and tackle for loss, as the 49ers have continued to trust him more and more as the games progressed. 

Buck brought up the story of Valdez because of how well he played. While the stat sheet does not show a ton, he was constantly causing chaos up the middle and helping to completely wreck Washington's run game. He was regularly getting into the backfield, including one play where he managed to tackle Jayden Daniels as he handed the ball off. That doesn't make it to the stat sheet, but that's just one example of how he continuously dominated in the trenches.

Steelers Spent 2026 Offseason Trying To Make Up For Missing Valdez

While the Steelers have a lot of talent on the defensive line, they were still looking for a consistent run stopper up the middle, and they clearly thought Valdez could be that guy. Instead of just finding one guy to fill that role, Pittsburgh got three. It started in free agency, as they signed veteran Sebastian Joseph-Day to a two-year deal to move all around and be a stable piece of the defensive line.

In the draft, the Steelers spent a sixth-round pick on Gabriel Rubio to hopefully develop into a run-down specialist, and it has worked well. He was a big piece to the defense shutting down the likes of Jonathan Taylor and Bucky Irving in back-to-back weeks. Pittsburgh also signed undrafted rookie Kevin Jobity Jr. to compete with Rubio, although both made the 53-man roster.

What do you think about Valdez turning the Steelers down in 2025? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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