Pittsburgh, PA -- (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Steelers released guard Kendall Simmons on Thursday.

Simmons had a streak of 30 consecutive starts stopped this season after he tore his Achilles tendon four games into the campaign and missed the rest of the season.

Pittsburgh's first-round pick (30th overall) in the 2002 NFL Draft, he has appeared in 80 games, all starts.

Simmons twice had to overcome adversity to bolster the Steelers offensive line. He had suffered from a diabetic condition causing him to lose 30 pounds, and, an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee during training camp in 2004 had him sidelined for that year on the season-ending reserve/injured list.

Also, the team released linebacker Mike Humpal on Thursday. A sixth-round pick in the 2008 draft, he injured his neck in training camp and missed the entire 2008 season.