Ryan Watts joined the Steelers as a sixth-round pick in last year’s draft. The defensive back’s time in the organization has come to an end, however, and his playing days appear to be over as well.

“Unfortunately, today we are releasing Ryan Watts from our roster,” a statement from general manager Omar Khan reads. “After consulting with our medical team, medical experts, and Ryan’s representatives, we all agree that it is in Ryan’s best interest to discontinue playing football at this time. We will continue to assist and support Ryan as he transitions to the next phase of his life.”

Watts suffered a neck injury during Pittsburgh’s preseason finale last summer. As a result, he was placed on injured reserve and was ineligible to play during the regular season. Given today’s update, the 23-year-old’s prognosis is obviously not conducive to continuing his football career.

After a pair of seasons at Ohio State, Watts transferred to Texas. He played a pair of seasons with the Longhorns, totaling 89 tackles and six pass breakups during that span. His size (6-3, 212 pounds) offered plenty of potential at the NFL level. As things stand now, though, a major turnaround with respect to his health will be required for a pro career to be possible.

The Steelers’ safety depth chart consists of Minkah Fitzpatrick, Juan Thornhill, DeShon Elliott and Miles Killebrew. At corner, Pittsburgh has the likes of Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay, Brandin Echols and Beanie Bishop in the fold. Due to unfortunate health circumstances, though, Watts will not be a member of the team’s secondary moving forward.