The Baltimore Ravens released 24-year-old linebacker Dominic DeLuca from the practice squad on Monday, Sept. 14, ending his brief stay with the club about two weeks after he was waived from the initial 53-man roster.
Baltimore signed defensive back Lardarius Webb Jr. to the practice squad in a corresponding transaction.
The moves were revealed via the NFL transaction log.
DeLuca, a West Pittston, Pa., native and Wyoming Area High School product, had signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State after the 2026 draft.
The team beat out interest from the Denver Broncos for the former walk-on, two-time Nittany Lions captain, and special-teams standout.
He started all three preseason games at inside linebacker and finished with 15 tackles, including a team-high eight in a 41-3 win over the Washington Commanders.
That production was not enough to survive final cuts on Aug. 30, when Baltimore trimmed to 53 players. DeLuca cleared waivers and returned the next day on the practice squad.
The latest release leaves him a free agent who can sign with any team. Practice-squad players can be elevated to the active roster a limited number of times, but DeLuca never appeared in a regular-season game for Baltimore.
His path to the NFL was already unconventional. DeLuca tore an ACL as a high-school senior, still helped Wyoming Area win a PIAA Class 3A title, then arrived at Penn State as a walk-on in 2021.
He earned a scholarship, became a captain, and finished his college career with 164 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), and a reputation as one of the program’s most decorated special-teamers.
In 2025, he played all 13 games and recorded 66 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and two sacks.
At 6-foot-1 and 228 pounds, DeLuca was always projected more as a core special-teamer and high-character depth piece than as an every-down linebacker.
The Ravens have long valued that profile. Depth at inside linebacker and the need for a practice-squad spot for Webb Jr. apparently outweighed keeping him after the season opener.
For a player who has already come back from a torn ACL and climbed from walk-on to NFL camp body, the cut is another setback rather than an ending.
Teams looking for special-teams help and a reliable practice player could still give DeLuca another look as rosters settle in the coming weeks.
