Bills Central

Former Bills DT, Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson determines next move

Former Buffalo Bills defender Gable Steveson is set to return to the University of Minnesota for a fifth year of collegiate wrestling.

Kyle Silagyi

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Just a few months after trading in the wrestling mat for the gridiron (with a brief stint in the squared circle in between), Gable Steveson is returning to the sport that allowed him to first achieve national prominence.

The University of Minnesota announced on Tuesday that Steveson is set to return for a fifth and final season of collegiate wrestling, with the 24-year-old being permitted to compete in an extra campaign by “utilizing NCAA waivers due to an Olympic redshirt and the extra year of eligibility that was granted in 2020 due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19.” Steveson had previously competed for the Golden Gophers from 2019–2022, constructing an 85-2 record as he earned two NCAA Division I National Championships; he also took home a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2020 (or, 2021, rather) Tokyo Games.

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Steveson initially parlayed his amateur wrestling career into one in professional wrestling, spending time in World Wrestling Entertainment’s developmental territory from 2021–2024. His May 2024 release from the company prompted him to make the switch to American football despite never before lacing up a pair of cleats, signing with the Buffalo Bills as a defensive tackle on May 31.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott has long been an outspoken proponent of amateur wrestling, feeling as though there’s a significant overlap in the skill sets, traits, and psyches possessed by athletes who compete in both sports. Though the 6-foot-1, sub-300 pound Steveson was always a longshot to make it as an interior defender at the professional level, giving McDermott the opportunity to mold one of the most dominant amateur wrestlers in recent memory into a serviceable NFL player was by no means a bad bet.

Gable Steveso
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Steveson made an impression on the Bills’ brass throughout training camp and the preseason, recording four quarterback pressures throughout the preseason while (expectedly) struggling against the run. A team with immediate championship aspirations that couldn’t necessarily afford to roster a 24-year-old with no football experience, Buffalo ultimately released Steveson as part of its final trim down to 53 players, keeping him off both its active roster and practice squad. General manager Brandon Beane later stated that the team was “definitely not closing the door” on potentially bringing Steveson back, but as of mid-November, the defender remained without a club.

Minnesota’s wrestling schedule is slated to conclude next February, with the NCAA Division I championships taking place in March. Steveson will determine his next career move after that time; whether he again pursues a career in professional football remains to be seen.

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Kyle Silagyi
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