It seems to be growing more and more challenging to get selected in the NFL draft, but occasionally guys who don’t get picked still have a direct opportunity by signing. For many young athletes, just securing a position has become a goal, but Pittsburgh Steelers player Monte Pottebaum seems to have destroyed his goal on purpose.
Monte terminated his NFL career after negotiating a three-year contract with the Steelers, shocking many after retiring at such a young age.
Steelers’ rookie FB Monte Pottebaum retires from NFL at age 23
When Pottebaum went undrafted in the 2023 draft, the Pittsburgh team stepped up to provide him an opportunity to prove his talent. He was the sole player listed at the position when the organization signed him to a three-year, $2.1M contract after the draft.
The 23-year-old Iowa graduate participated in the Steelers’ organized team activities, minicamp, and the first week of training camp, but the team announced on Sunday that he has retired from playing professional football.
The Steelers are currently facing a major challenge at the fullback position as the former Iowa Hawkeye fullback is scheduled to go on the reserve/retired list. This season, they might think about using Connor Heyward as a fullback option. Coach Mike Tomlin may have another strategy in mind as his team doesn’t look quite ready to add another fullback to the lineup.
“We’ll go into our off day and look at totality of what our needs are and make our decisions from there,” Tomlin said.
NFL community reacts to FB Monte Pottebaum’s early retirement
The “Quarterback” documentary series reveals the quarterbacks’ internal struggles as they manage their on- and off-field lives. Every position, including quarterback, usually comes with a lot of pressure that can occasionally cause players to quit the game early.
The retirement of Monte has emerged as a great shock and also a disappointment for many NFL fans as some of them may have been expecting the rookie player’s great success with the Steelers. One fan cited his disappointment on his retirement commenting, “Pickett made a rookie retire I’m crying”.
Pickett made a rookie retire I'm crying https://t.co/BjKN65XBVs
— Diego🌹(🧌!!!) (@DVAGotSuspended) July 30, 2023
Another netizen said, “Bro got his signing bonus and peaced out lol.”
Bro got his signing bonus and peaced out lol https://t.co/A5HC02fVwD
— The Missed Kick (@kirkdonkadonk) July 30, 2023
While several anticipated college players were not selected, Pottebaum got the chance and somehow successfully tore it to pieces. He has a fantastic chance to hold down the fullback position for a longer period of time, gain the team’s confidence, and develop into a famous player.
He coulda been the greatest in NFL history with that name, that face, that hair. We missed a legend https://t.co/5Fd98mkR97
— Liberty Prime's Biggest Simp (@T_rex_stubs) July 31, 2023
Although the motivation for Montes’ action is still unknown, the NFL teams may now become more cautious while signing new players! What do you think about the situation? Let us know in the comment section.
