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The Pittsburgh Steelers lost undrafted rookie safety Sebastian Castro to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers about six weeks ago. The team wanted him back so badly that they have released veteran safety Juan Thornhill to make roster space. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Monday the Steelers released Thornhill. Fox Sports’ Greg Auman then reported the Steelers claimed Castro off waivers to fill the safety vacancy. The Steelers made the two corresponding transactions official, announcing the moves on X minutes after the two reports. Thornhill played a significant role in Pittsburgh’s defense during the first six weeks of the 2025 regular season. In the first five games, he averaged 53.8 defensive snaps per game, posting 32 combined tackles and one pass defense. Thornhill also played 45 snaps on special teams. But the veteran started to see a decline in his playing time in Week 7. During Weeks 7 and 8, he averaged only 23.5 defensive snaps per game. Over the past two weeks, Thornhill only played on special teams. He received zero snaps at safety despite starter DeShon Elliott landing on injured reserve before Week 9. With Castro, the Steelers are bringing back one of their undrafted free agents from the 2025 class. He began the season on the team’s practice squad. The Buccaneers signed Castro off the practice squad on September 30. Tampa Bay waived Castro on Saturday. Auman reported the Buccaneers were “expected to sign” the safety to their practice squad Monday. However, he needed to clear waivers for Tampa Bay to have that opportunity. With the Steelers placing their claim, Castro didn’t clear waivers.
