The Pittsburgh Steelers have outside linebacker Markus Golden on the Reserved/Retired list, The team announced this today, just hours before the season opener against the Houston Texans. This means that Golden has informed the team that he is retiring.

Golden was signed on August 1 after the team suffered several injuries at outside linebacker. Golden was grateful to be back after playing for Pittsburgh last season, recording four sacks as a backup. He had a connection with Steelers OLB coach Denzel Martin, the two being teammates in college at Missouri.

Speaking to reporters after his contract extension, Golden said he felt temporarily retired after the offseason as a free agent and was enjoying time with his family.

Golden only attended a few practices after his signing. On Wednesday he was on the field but not practicing. He was wearing a baseball cap and hanging out on the field. On Thursday I did not see him on the field. This obviously had something to do with his decision to retire from the sport.

Markus Golden, a second-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2015, appeared in 127 career games, recording 51 sacks, including 12.5 sacks, which was his season-high as a sophomore in 2016. He made a comeback with the Cardinals in 2021, recording 11 sacks.

He appeared in 16 games for the Steelers last season, recording 20 tackles and four sacks. This year he competed for a spot as a backup, but he would finish no higher than No. 4 on the list behind TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. He had signed a one-year contract when he returned to the team.

With Golden’s appointment, the Steelers have an open spot on their 91-man roster. With Golden now gone, Jeremiah Moon and Kyron Johnson will compete for the fourth outside linebacker spot.