The Buffalo Bills announced an intriguing addition to their roster on Friday. The team signed former Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Gable Steveson to play defensive tackle.
Steveson, who hasn’t played football at any level before, inked a standard three-year rookie contract with the Bills.
Steveson, who competed in freestyle wrestling, has an impressive resume that includes a 40-6 record. He won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with Team USA while also having two national championships and three Big Ten championships during his college career at the University of Minnesota.
Steveson also had a stint with WWE, signing with the promotion in 2021. He made several appearances at WWE events before being released from his contract last month.
Now, Steveson will have an opportunity to carve out a career for himself in the NFL. He is likely to first spend time on the Bills’ practice squad to get the hang of the sport and his position.
“I have been fortunate to compete at the highest level of competition in my sport but am looking forward to the challenge of seeing how my wrestling skills may translate to football,” Steveson said in a statement. “I am grateful to Coach [Sean] McDermott, [GM] Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills organization for giving me this opportunity.”
