Anthony Chickillo

Chickillo spent all but one of his pro seasons with the Steelers. He was a rotational player in Pittsburgh, earning snaps on defense and special teams. Chickillo posted two seasons with multiple sacks and finished his career with 8.5 sacks plus 105 tackles. He is retiring at the age of 28. 

The longtime Steelers reserve spent the entire offseason on the Saints' deep roster, but he could not carve out a reserve or special teams role. Still only 27, Chickillo should be a regular on the workout circuit. 

Released in a cap move in March, Chickillo was lightly used for the Steelers' excellent 2020 defense, contributing just 143 snaps in 11 games. Headed into his age-28 campaign, Chickillo was a key reserve for years in Pittsburgh, but he could have a difficult time cracking the Saints' loaded 53-man roster. 

The move saves the Steelers $5 million against the cap. Chickillo spent a week on the Commissioner's Exempt List in October, but ultimately had charges dropped in regards to a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. The former sixth-round pick played in 65 games since joining the Steelers in 2015, although he was mostly used in a reserve role on defense. Chickillo will turn 28 in December and could have some interest on the open market as a depth piece at linebacker.