Vikings Defender Heads to Pittsburgh
Josh Frey
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This offseason has seen a number of changes to the Minnesota Vikings defense.
The team lost a number of notable starters in free agency including Jordan Hicks and Danielle Hunter. They also opted to part ways with defensive lineman Dean Lowry, and now, the former Vikings defender has found a new home with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Vikings Defender Heads to Pittsburgh
The news was reported by Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, who tweeted this week, “Steelers have agreed to terms with QB Kyle Allen and DE Dean Lowry, general manager Omar Khan says in Orlando.”
Lowry, 29, spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers after being selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Northwestern. The defensive end quickly emerged as a pass rushing threat in Green Bay’s defense, recording multiple sacks in five of his seven seasons with the Packers.
This included a 2021 season in which he recorded five sacks along with a total of 42 QB pressures, which ranked 20th in the entire NFL among defensive linemen, per PFF. However, Lowry went through a bit of a down season in 2022, recording just half a sack over the course of 15 games, thus prompting Green Bay to part ways with him.
The Vikings signed Lowry to a two-year contract worth a total of $8.5 million last offseason. Unfortunately, Lowry would not find a way to rejuvenate his career with the Vikings, in part because of a torn pec which ended his season.
Lowry appeared in just nine games over the course of the year (making four starts), and he recorded 14 total tackles without a single tackle for loss or sack. The Vikings saved just over $2 million in cap space by cutting him, according to Over the Cap.
Over the years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been renowned for ferocious defensive play, and that remained true in 2023 as Pittsburgh ranked sixth in points allowed per game. Now, Lowry gets a chance to help revamp the squad’s defensive trenches for the 2024 season.
Lowry joins a defensive line depth chart in Pittsburgh that includes the following names:
- Cameron Hayward
- Keeanu Benton
- Larry Ogunjobi
- Isaiahh Loudermilk
- Montravius Adams
- DeMarvin Leal
- Jonathan Marshall
- Breiden Fehoko
- Jacob Slade
The defensive lineman will turn 30 years old on June 9th.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.