Gable Steveson, Olympic gold winner, signed with the Buffalo Bills after WWE release.
Olympic gold medal wrestler Gable Steveson signed a normal undrafted rookie free agent deal with the Buffalo Bills on Friday, hoping to transition from the mat to the gridiron.
The Bills have listed the 24-year-old Steveson as a defensive lineman, hoping that his leverage techniques and quickness would translate to football.
Steveson, 21, is listed at 5-foot-11 and 266 pounds, making him the youngest freestyle wrestler to win gold as a super heavyweight in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He went on to win two collegiate national titles at Minnesota in 2021 and 2022, as well as two Dan Hodge Trophy awards as the nation’s top college wrestler.
Following his second college championship, Steveson put his shoes in the center of the mat to signify his retirement from amateur wrestling.
In Buffalo, Steveson joins a squad led by Sean McDermott, a two-time high school national wrestling champion from Pennsylvania. McDermott went on to play football after high school, but he credits wrestling with shaping his life.
“I have been fortunate to compete at the highest level of competition in my sport, but I am looking forward to the challenge of seeing how my wrestling skills may translate to football,” Steveson said in a statement issued by his agent, Carter Chow. “I’m appreciative to Coach McDermott, (General Manager) Brandon Beane, and the Buffalo Bills organization for this chance.
Although Steveson’s contract with Buffalo lasts three years, it is not guaranteed unless he makes the club.
The Bills created a spot for Steveson by dismissing Matt Haack, one of three punters on the roster. Buffalo re-signed Haack this summer after adding him to the practice squad during the playoffs as insurance when Sam Martin suffered a hamstring injury.
Steveson is the second player without previous football experience Buffalo has acquired to its roster this offseason. In the seventh round of the draft last month, the Bills selected Travis Clayton, a former English rugby player, with their final pick. Clayton, 23, is listed at 6-foot-7 and 303 pounds and is expected to play offensive line after spending the winter learning about American football in the NFL’s International Pathway Program.
Steveson won gold at the Tokyo Games with a dramatic last-second victory over Geno Petriashvili. After the triumph, he had many options, but he elected to return to college for a year and take advantage of the new name, image, and likeness rules, which permitted collegiate athletes to earn money.
He signed a NIL contract with World Wrestling Entertainment prior to his final college season and later joined the company.
After joining WWE, Steveson temporarily returned to amateur wrestling last year. He competed in the U.S. Open and Final X, winning both in overwhelming fashion. That qualified him for the global championships, but he decided not to compete.
Steveson made his WWE debut to much acclaim. He spent most of his time with the company’s developmental brand, NXT, before being released in May.
Steveson is not the only former Gopher wrestler to attempt an NFL career; in 2004, South Dakota native Brock Lesnar joined with the Vikings. He never played a regular-season game for Minnesota and went back to wrestling.
Steveson hails from Apple Valley, Minnesota, and his mother named him Gable in honor of wrestler Don Gable, who won gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics.