The Pittsburgh Steelers made some big roster changes this summer. After letting starters walk away in free agency, general manager Omar Khan added a few notable free agents and continued to build the foundation of the team through the NFL Draft. In the aftermath of the draft, the Steelers quietly added running back Trey Sermon to their roster. Unfortunately, the former Ohio State star may already be on the chopping block.
Sermon was a promising prospect entering the NFL. In just eight games as a senior for the Buckeyes in 2020, the talented running back gashed defenses for 870 rushing yards and four touchdowns while averaging a remarkable 7.5 yards per carry.
Despite his miraculous efficiency as a runner, Sermon slipped to the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft after running a 4.61 40-yard dash at his Ohio State Pro Day. His journey with the 49ers ended after just one season, and Sermon has spent time with the Eagles before landing on the Colts' roster the past two seasons.
Looking for a shot at redemption, Sermon inked a deal with the Steelers in May, but his stay in the Steel City is destined to be short-lived.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have no room for Trey Sermon on their 53-man roster in 2025
If we were entering the 2022 season, Pittsburgh Steelers fans would be thrilled about the idea of adding Trey Sermon to the running back room. At 6'0 3/8'' and 215 pounds, Sermon has excellent size, while his 125'' broad jump and 6.84 3-cone drill coming out of college prove he's still a good athlete. Sermon looks the part, but hasn't played like it early in his NFL career.
Through four NFL seasons, the talented running back has averaged just 3.8 yards per carry to go with an expendable rushing success rate of 49.3 percent. His career path isn't about to get any brighter in Pittsburgh.
When Najee Harris departed for the LA Chargers in free agency, there was a vacancy next to Jaylen Warren in the backfield and touches to go around. However, the depth at the position was quickly fortified as the Steelers signed Kenneth Gainwell and later drafted Iowa star running back Kaleb Johnson.
While Johnson was just a third-round pick (83rd overall), the Steelers are high on the Hawkeyes star, and he's expected to carve out a significant role from the backfield right away. With Warren and Johnson expected to split a lion's share of the carries, Gainwell is projected to be the RB3, thanks to his kick return experience and ability to play on third downs.
This leaves Sermon in no man's land. With just 55 special-teams snaps under his belt over the past three seasons, Sermon doesn't add enough value to the team to supplant a player like Gainwell. And if he's not going to be one of the top two running backs in Pittsburgh—and he won't—special teams ability is a must.
Unfortunately for the former Ohio State star, Trey Sermon will be looking for employment elsewhere by the start of the 2025 regular season (barring injuries). If he can stick on the Steelers' 90-man roster throughout the summer and show something in the preseason, at least he will have the shot to audition for other NFL teams before packing his bags.