The Pittsburgh Steelers officially cut their roster down to 53 players, and while the initial group will almost certainly change from now until week one kicks off, the rash of moves has kept us fans busy. The initial roster feels pretty shocking.
While four quarterbacks felt like a forgone conclusion (albeit unusual), seven defensive linemen and only eight total linebackers seem like a shock.
There are clear winners from Sunday's moves, and the Steelers hope this new-look team will lead to a strong showing for the team in 2026.
Pittsburgh Steelers winners and losers from a volatile roster cutdown day
Winner: Kevin Jobity Jr.
Let's start with the most obvious name worth mentioning as a winner: Kevin Jobity. The undrafted defensive lineman from Syracuse was an intriguing fit, but he had a quiet summer overall. While he flashed with a sack against the Bills, it didn't feel like enough to warrant a roster spot for the rookie.
Not only did he make the team, but he beat out Dean Lowry, who seemed to be having an extremely strong camp.
While I like keeping young talent at an important position, it felt like Jobity could have been stashed on the practice squad. The Steelers clearly saw enough in him to keep him, though, which is a massive win for the defensive talent.
Winner: Eli Heidenreich
Another name that felt like a lock to be cut, I'm not really sure how the Steelers can justify keeping Eli Heidenreich based on how the summer went. Travis Homer was the best special teams player, while Lew Nichols was the best pure runner out of the backups.
Heidenreich put together a solid game against the Bills, but it still didn't feel like enough for him to make the team. I don't have a good reason why he made the squad, but once again it seems like the Steelers are higher on the seventh-round pick than anyone else.
Winner: Omar Khan
The Steelers made two trades ahead of cutdown day, and I think both were good moves for the team.
Broderick Jones was the first name on the move, being sent to the Cowboys. Kaleb Johnson was next, as he is headed to the Packers. Both fetched more than I thought they would get.
I don't love trading tackle depth, but Jones was clearly on the outs in Pittsburgh. Moving up from the fourth round to the third is good value, and the Steelers get another sixth-round pick as the cherry on top. That was value too good to pass on.
Johnson fetched far less, netting a future sixth-round pick from Green Bay. However, for a player who looked mediocre this offseason and had no future here, it feels like a win. Overall, a strong pair of trades to add to Omar Khan's resume.
Loser: Will Howard
The Steelers officially kept four quarterbacks, and while Will Howard could be headed to injured reserve soon, this is a clear sign that he lost the quarterback battle this offseason. The hope was that he would overtake Mason Rudolph. Instead, he fell on his face.
I guess this is better than being outright cut, but the fact that Howard couldn't win the backup role is a bad sign for his NFL future. We need to start viewing the former sixth-round pick as a potential depth option, not the future face of this team.
Loser: DeShon Elliott
The small bit of action DeShon Elliott played against the Jets was great. He looked like his old self and was a dynamic force on defense. Unfortunately, it seems to have cost the veteran, as he winds up on injured reserve to start the season.
The safety room is already thin, and this injury won't help there. As for Elliott, he was hoping to pick up where he left off, but that won't happen until after week four. It isn't the start of the season we wanted from the veteran defender.
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