May 18, 2017 3 min read

PITTSBURGH – It wasn’t a good day to take a physical Thursday at Steelers headquarters.

Long snapper Greg Warren and tight end Ladarius Green both failed their physicals, leading the team to release both veterans.

The physicals are a routine part of the offseason program. Pittsburgh begins its final session of OTAs next week in the leadup to minicamp next month.

The release of Warren, who had been with the team since 2005, was a difficult one. Warren was one of three remaining players on the team’s roster who was a member of the team’s Super Bowl wins in 2005 and 2008. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and linebacker James Harrison are the others.

But Warren, 35, had dealt with knee issues this offseason and was unable to pass the team’s physical, something the team knew might be an issue, prompting the Steelers to select long snapper Colin Holba in the sixth round of last month’s draft.

Warren had twice torn an ACL during his career.

“I would first like to thank the Steelers organization, coaches and training staff for their help and advice over the last few weeks,” Warren said. “I had full intentions of playing this upcoming season, but in light of new information I’ve recently received from my doctors relating to a past injury, it has been determined that trying to compete in the 2017 season may be a risk to my long-term health. After discussing this with the Steelers, we have decided it would be in everyone’s best interest to release me at this point.”

The decision to release Green was a little more difficult.

The Steelers signed the 6-6, 240-pound tight end to a four-year, $20-million contract in free agency last year despite the fact he had undergone an offseason ankle surgery.

Pittsburgh thought he would be ready to play at the start of training camp but the injury lingered and Green began the season on the PUP list.

He was activated at midseason and caught 18 passes for 304 yards and a touchdown in six games before suffering a concussion in a win against Cincinnati that ended his season. Green had suffered two concussions in 2015 while playing for San Diego.

It was the ankle injury, which never fully healed, which led to his failed physical.

The release of Green could bode well for Waynesburg native Scott Orndoff in his attempt to earn a spot with the Steelers.

Jesse James, Xavier Grimble and David Johnson return at the tight end position for the team, while Orndoff – a Pitt graduate – and Phazhan Odom were brought in as rookies. Odom was signed earlier this week after getting a tryout with the team during its rookie minicamp.

Green had been scheduled to count $6.2 million against the Steelers salary cap in 2017.

Because Green was released because of a failed physical, the Steelers will clear $2.6 million in salary cap space this season. But he will still count $3.5 million in dead money against the team’s cap.

The release of Warren saves the team $615,000 in salary cap space, putting the Steelers approximately $16 million under the salary cap.

With the roster spot created by the release of Green, the Steelers signed running back Terrell Watson, who spent the 2015 season the practice squad of Cincinnati. Last year, he spent time with Cleveland, Denver and Philadelphia.