The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Thursday the release of six-time Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro.

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert released this statement on the move:

“David was without a doubt one of the premier offensive linemen during his time with us,” said General Manager and Vice President Kevin Colbert said in a statement. “He helped us win a lot of football games, but it was David's consistency, reliability and professionalism that stood out more than anything else. We wish him the best moving forward in his career.”

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport initially characterized the release as a “surprise,” though his colleague Mike Garafolo notes DeCastro has been dealing with ankle issues. The 31-year-old underwent ankle surgery before last season.

DeCastro will now evaluate his future and could decide to retire, while the Steelers will save $8.75 million in cap space.

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The guard had spent his entire NFL career with the Steelers before this release. DeCastro was drafted 24th overall in 2012. He only played four games as a rookie, but he soon became a mainstay on Pittsburgh's offensive line.

DeCastro missed only four regular-season games from 2013-2019. Despite dealing with his ankle problems last year, he still appeared in 13 games.

The guard has made six consecutive Pro Bowls going back to 2015. He also made First-Team All-Pro in 2015 and 2017. He was Second-Team All-Pro in 2016.

DeCastro meant a lot to Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers' running game over the years. It will be tough to replace him, but Pittsburgh will do its best as part of a continued overhaul of the offensive line. Trai Turner is in talks with the Steelers, per Rapoport.