LATROBE, Pa. — The Pittsburgh Steelers have Breiden Fehoko back in the fold now, but it was no certainty he would even play in the NFL this season.

Fehoko shed weight, dipping below 300 pounds, and he currently weighs around 295, a new playing weight for him. However, if the Steelers had not called, Fehoko may not have returned to the NFL.

A new dad and focusing on some other ventures outside of football, Fehoko has been dialed in to potentially moving on from the sport.

Yet, when the Steelers called, a place Fehoko considers his second family, he returned happily to continue his football career.

“I was enjoying being a dad. I was enjoying being home, considering retiring because at this point in my career, I feel like I’ve done it all. But as I was fielding calls more throughout the summer and more towards the fall when late July started to roll around, kind of got this new sense of motivation after the first team called and the second team called and finally Pittsburgh called. I was like, ‘You know what? Like, maybe I’ll go give it another run, see how it goes and turns out for me.’ So, it’s great. When a team like Pittsburgh calls, especially with what they’ve done this year, I mean, there’s no choice, especially being here. It helps a lot,” Fehoko said.

The 28-year-old Fehoko was undrafted out of LSU in the 2020 NFL Draft, signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. He stayed there from 2020 to 2022, but they let him walk shortly after that, and as a result, he landed with the Steelers later that offseason.

While Fehoko did not land on the Steelers’ active roster, he was elevated for two games in the 2023 season. He was not elevated for a game during the 2024 campaign.

In his career, Fehoko has 36 total tackles as a run-plugger in the middle of the defense. Now at a smaller size, Fehoko will take on a different role within the Steelers’ scheme.

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