David DeCastro Sounds Like Someone Headed Towards Retirement
The Pittsburgh Steelers shocked the NFL world on Thursday, releasing long-time guard David DeCastro at just 31-years-old.
DeCastro, a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro, is reportedly contemplating retirement due to lingering ankle issues that will force him to receive another surgery this summer.
In a text exchange with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Joe Starkey, DeCastro admitted he'll receive his third surgery on his ankle following his release. "I tried to fix it last year but the bone spurs kept coming back. It nagged me pretty bad all last year."
From there, he's not certain where the future will take him.
"Gotta see how the surgery goes," he told Starkey. "But I'd have no problem calling it a day and moving on with my life."
It doesn't sound like the veteran guard is holding on too tightly to his NFL career. After nine years in the pros and 125 games, it feels like DeCastro is about ready to hang up his cleats.
In an exclusive interview with SteelCityInsider's Jim Wexell, DeCastro said he plans to spend time at his Pittsburgh home and rehab his ankle before deciding whether or not he'll continue playing. But from the sounds of it, he's not sold his ankle will hold up much longer.
"Three times on an ankle, and ankles don't really heal that well, not like knees. It just doesn't seem like there's enough blood flow or whatnot down there," DeCastro said. "We've got to figure it out."
If it is DeCastro's end in the NFL, Steelers fans will remember him as one of the best. A starter in all but one game throughout his career, DeCastro came into Pittsburgh as a first-round pick and left as a Hall of Fame hopeful. Ask Steelers Nation and he'll one day be joining Maurkice Pouncey in Canton, Ohio.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
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