It doesn't take long for players who were once starters to fizzle out of the NFL. That may be exactly what's happening to former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Montravius Adams. The athletic defensive lineman joined the Steelers late in the 2021 season and would play an integral role on the team through 2024. However, after selecting two defensive tackles in the 2025 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh released Adams late in April.
Through three-and-a-half seasons on the Steelers, Adams started 21 of 46 games as he played nose tackle and sub-package snaps as a versatile interior defender. Adams finished his career in Pittsburgh, recording 72 tackles and six tackles for a loss.
Before joining the Steelers, Adams had a brief stint with the New Orleans Saints. The Auburn product was originally a third-round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2017 NFL Draft, where he spent his first four seasons as a rotational defensive tackle.
Sadly, 2025 could mark the end of Adams' eight-year NFL career.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Montravius Adams may be forced to retire
Montravius Adams isn't considered 'old' for an interior defensive lineman. Entering his age-30 season, the combination of Adams' age, underwhelming performance, and lack of production pulverizes his chances of signing with an NFL team.
Despite his movement stills and athletic traits, Adams has recorded just one sack since signing with the Steelers in 2021. The veteran also struggles to consistently hold up at the point of attack as a run defender.
Adams' struggles led to a pitiful 44.2 PFF grade following the 2024 season. Had he played enough snaps to qualify for a ranking, this would have been good for just 105th among 117 qualifying defensive tackles last year. His 29.8 run defense grade was about as bad as it gets, and there was a stretch of six games during the middle of the season where Adams didn't even earn a helmet on gameday for the Steelers.
Unfortunately for Adams, NFL training camps are beginning, and the long-time veteran has yet to sign with an NFL team. Most teams have their 90-man summer roster in place. The sad reality is that you need to offer something of significance as a defensive lineman. If you don't have youth, you need strong and stout or disruptive from the backfield. Adams doesn't offer any of those things at this stage of his career.
It certainly looks like Montravius Adams is on his way out of the NFL, and this serves as another brutal reminder of how quickly a player can go from a starter to being unrosterable.