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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Demarvin Leal at practice on Jan. 8, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The Cleveland Browns tried out former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end DeMarvin Leal on Monday, according to the NFL transaction page.
Leal, the Steelers’ third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, was released by the team the day before its Wild Card playoff game with the Houston Texans in January.
He signed with the New York Giants on Jan. 22, and was released by the Giants over the weekend of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Leal had spent most of the 2025 season on the Steelers’ practice squad, and had been released from the roster and cleared waivers twice this season, joining the practice squad both times. Leal was first waived in August, clearing as the team made its final cuts to a 53-man roster at the end of the preseason in August.
Leal joined the Steelers practice squad, and was recalled to the active roster on Sept. 17 after an injuries to Alex Highsmith and Malik Harrison. Leal played in three games for the Steelers, recording two tackles. He played on 17 snaps of defense and nine snaps of special teams.
He was again released from the 53-man roster on Nov. 6 and cleared waivers, and re-joined the practice squad. Leal was elevated from the practice squad once, playing against the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 15. He appeared on three snaps of defense and one on specail teams.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end DeMarvin Leal (98) runs onto the field before an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in Orchard Park, NY. (AP Photo/Matt Durisko)
Leal, 26, did not live up to the billing of his draft selection with the Steelers, thanks to a combination of injuries and an awkward fit in the Pittsburgh defensive scheme.
The Steelers bounced Leal back and forth between defensive tackle and outside linebacker over his three seasons in Pittsburgh. A neck injury limited him to just five games played in 2024.
On the other side of that injury, the Steelers committed to playing Leal at outside linebacker for the 2025 season. But they also drafted Jack Sawyer in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, pushing Leal to the fifth spot on the depth chart.
Leal got a long look for the Steelers in the 2025 preseason, with T.J. Watt not participating and Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig both dealing with injuries. Despite 104 defensive snaps over four games, he was able to amass just five tackles, no sacks and five quarterback pressures.
The 6-foot-4, 290-pounder was once considered a potential first-round pick option before falling to the Steelers in the third-round.
Mentioned In This Article: Cleveland Browns DeMarvin Leal Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers Steelers Transactions