Steeler release RB LeGarrette Blount

PITTSBURGH (AP) — LeGarrette Blount's early exit Monday night cost the volatile running back his job.

The Pittsburgh Steelers cut Blount today, less than 24 hours after he jogged off LP Field with the clock still running in a 27-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

Coach Mike Tomlin called the decision to part ways with Blount "in the best interest of the organization" while bringing a swift end to the latest chapter in Blount's increasingly nomadic career.

The Steelers signed Blount to a two-year, $3.85-million deal in March to provide the running game with some needed heft. He ran for 266 yards and two scores but saw his playing time diminish in recent weeks. Blount took the field for just one play on Monday night while good friend Le'Veon Bell rushed for a career-high 204 yards and a touchdown.

Blount and Bell celebrated Bell's 5-yard dive early in the fourth quarter that pulled Pittsburgh within a touchdown, posing for a faux selfie on the sideline after the play was upheld on review.

Yet when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger lined up for the final snap, Blount headed for the tunnel. He was already dressed when his teammates entered the locker room and sat on the bus while the rest of the Steelers (7-4) soaked in their fourth win in five games.