The Steelers have informed fullback Roosevelt Nix he will be released. The move comes less than 24 hours after the team agreed to terms with Derek Watt.
The move comes as the NFL begins its new league year, which opened at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Nix, a five-year veteran, appeared in just three games in 2019, struggling with a knee injury throughout the season. A Pro Bowl player in 2017, he was a very good special teams player, earning his keep in that fashion as the Steelers rarely used him on offense in recent seasons.
He played less than 10 percent of the team's offensive snaps in 2018, despite being healthy for all 16 games.
Nix, who played defensive tackle at Kent State, was scheduled to count $1.87 million against the Steelers' salary cap in 2020. By releasing him, the team saves $825,000 against the salary cap.
He finishes his Steelers career with four rushing attempts for four yards and one touchdown and 12 receptions for 69 yards and a score.
Watt, the brother of Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, agreed to a three-year, $9.75 million deal with the team on Tuesday. He will have a base salary of $1 million in 2020 and count $2.25 million against the team's salary cap, a figure that rises to $2.75 million in 2021.
All teams had to be under the NFL's $198.2 million salary cap by 4 p.m. Wednesday. The Steelers, who made a flurry of roster moves to get in cap compliance Monday and Tuesday, are roughly $5 million under the cap after offering tender offers to offensive lineman Matt Feiler and cornerback Mike Hilton and signing offensive lineman Zach Banner to a one-year $1.75-million deal.
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