Right after training camp, the Pittsburgh Steelers had a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While it was primarily seen as a way to test out how good the team really was entering the regular season by pitting them against someone other than their own offense for once, it was also a good chance for both front offices to do a little scouting for potential bubble players that could fit their needs.
The Buccaneers had to place a safety on Injured Reserve (IR) this week, so they had a hole at the position. They filled it by taking utility man Sebastian Castro off of the Steelers’ practice squad, according to Tampa Bay’s official website.
Castro has yet to be called up from the practice squad by the Steelers, so unless he’s listed as a healthy scratch, he will make his NFL debut in Week 5 for the Buccaneers against the Seattle Seahawks. Luckily for Tampa Bay, the defensive back was with the Steelers when they lost in Week 2 against Seattle. He has seen first-hand what they do well and how they made Pittsburgh’s defense look suspect, so he can likely help keep the Buccaneers from making the same mistakes.
That potential scouting report for Week 5 was probably a reason that Castro was specifically signed off the practice squad, as well as what the Buccaneers saw when they flew up to Western Pennsylvania for the joint practice back in August. He still has quite a bit to learn, but if he can jump on that moving train, he could be a quality depth piece for Tampa Bay down the road.
During his time in college, Castro played a role similar to that of Cooper DeJean, as they were teammates for the Iowa Hawkeyes. That position is a mix between a linebacker, a safety, and a slot cornerback. He was a thumper that had some issues with size and speed. Despite that, the Steelers wanted to give him a shot, as his versatility and tackling abilities made him an ideal developmental piece for Mike Tomlin’s defense.
Steelers Loaded Up On The Back Seven In 2025
While Castro could have fit in Pittsburgh with his physicality and versatility, the problem here was that the Steelers spent all offseason overhauling the linebacker core, as well as their defensive backs. Slot corner was even taken after the trade for Jalen Ramsey. All the moves made there even pushed 2024 standout Beanie Bishop Jr. off the roster and onto the practice squad as well.
Between free agency frenzy and Week 2 of the 2025 season, the Steelers added three veteran safeties to the team, along with Ramsey getting some snaps at that position here and there. While Castro has some positive traits, he clearly was not trusted much with all the moves made to load up on starting-caliber players and depth pieces.
At linebacker, the Steelers brought in Malik Harrison to help stop the run, but that wasn’t what made Castro expendable. That would be the sudden reemergence of Cole Holcomb after his disastrous injury in 2023. He quickly got back to form and became an impact player at helping stopping the run, to go along with the two usual starters. Castro suddenly was not a fit in Pittsburgh, but maybe he can be one in Tampa Bay.