The Pittsburgh Steelers announced that they’ve released veteran TE Matt Spaeth with a failed physical designation on Thursday and signed rookie TE Mandel Dixon.
“Matt never fully recovered from knee surgery that occurred this past offseason, and he will not be ready to return to football activities at this time,” said General Manager Kevin Colbert. “Matt played an integral role in our Super Bowl XLIII Championship run, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Spaeth, 32, was in the final year of his two-year, $2.2 million contract that included a $275,000 signing bonus and set to make a base salary of $1 million for the 2016 season.
According to OverTheCap.com, releasing Spaeth will free up $1 million in available cap space while creating $137,500 in dead money.
In 2015, Spaeth appeared in 13 games for the Steelers and recorded two receptions for 10 yards receiving and no touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him down for playing 276 snaps last year.
Dixon wound up going undrafted out of Tulsa a few months ago, so this will be his first opportunity with an NFL team. During his college career, Dixon recorded 10 receptions for 91 yards receiving and a touchdown to go along with seven rushing attempts for 17 yards and touchdown.
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