The New England Patriots made it their offseason priority to revamp the roster following head coach Mike Vrabel's arrival. They parted ways with longtime contributors and brought in players Vrabel was more familiar. The Bill Belichick-era holdovers who have grown accustomed to losing over the past three seasons were let go, much to the dismay of some Patriots fans.
One of those ex-Pats who left town was veteran defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale. The 31-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers early in free agency after spending the last four seasons in Foxborough. Ekuale had a large defensive role last season amid injuries, starting 16 games and playing over 68% of defensive snaps in those appearances.
Former Patriots DT Daniel Ekuale Won't What He's Looking for With Steelers
The Patriots decided to go a different direction upon Ekuale's exit, breaking the bank for Milton Williams and signing Khyiris Tonga this offseason. With the return of Christian Barmore, the Pats will have a completely different look on their defensive line.
Ekuale may also have a different outlook on his new team after settling into the Steel City.
Since putting pen to paper in free agency, the Steelers invested significant resources in the interior defensive line. They selected Derrick Harmon out of Oregon with their first-round pick, as well as Yahya Black out of Iowa in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft. These two defensive tackles will likely get playing time from the get-go, making Ekuale's path to defensive snaps that much more difficult.
As things stand now, Ekuale is behind the Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, and Cameron Heyward trio on the Steelers' defensive line. Along with Heyward, Ekuale can provide veteran competence in the position, but it's hard to imagine the former Patriot matching his snap count from a season ago.
The Steelers will likely continue to stay competitive under head coach Mike Tomlin, but they also have massive questions on the offensive side of the ball. They lost a ton of talent and still don't have a QB1. Ekuale may not find the team success he is looking for in Pittsburgh, either, after making the postseason only once in his six-year career.