The Pittsburgh Steelers recently wrapped up their preseason finale; now comes the hard part—cutting the 90-man summer roster down to just 53 players. Head coach Mike McCarthy and his new coaching staff spent the whole offseason working with this group, but sadly, the team will be forced to wave goodbye to roughly 40 percent of its summer roster.
By 6 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, all 32 teams must be roster compliant and have their initial 53-man rosters set. This means a flurry of roster cuts are in the way for McCarthy and his staff.
While many of these players will circle back to the 16-man practice squad (which includes a 17th spot exclusively for a member of the NFL's International Pathway Program), some could sign with other organizations. These roster decisions won't come easy, but the Steelers have a deadline to make.
Table of contents
- Latest Pittsburgh Steelers roster cuts
- Updated Steelers 53-man roster
- Notable cuts
- Potential waiver wire targets from around the league
Last updated: Friday, August 28 at 12:00 a.m. ET
Latest Pittsburgh Steelers roster cuts
Player | Position |
|---|---|
Jaheim Bell | Tight End |
Greg Crippen | Offensive Line |
Jaylon Guilbeau | Defensive Back |
Jack Henderson | Defensive Back |
Brandon Hill | Defensive Back |
Jakobi Keeney-James | Wide Receiver |
Tamon Lynum | Defensive Back |
Daryl Porter | Defensive Back |
Cornell Powell | Wide Receiver |
Alex Tecza | Running Back |
Isaiah Winstead | Wide Receiver |
Jamin Davis | Edge rusher |
Levi Wentz | Wide Receiver |
Broderick Jones (trade) | Offensive Line |
Elandon Roberts | Linebacker |
Dean Lowry | Defensive Line |
Esezi Otomewo | Defensive Line |
Malik Harrison | Linebacker |
Kaleb Johnson (trade) | Running Back |
Anthony Goodlow | Defensive Tackle |
Kyler Baugh | Defensive Tackle |
Devan Boykin | Defensive Back |
Sebastian Castro | Safety |
Max Hurleman | Wide Receiver |
D'Shawn Jamison | Defensive Back |
Steven Jones | Offensive Line |
Lance Mason | Tight End |
Lake McRee | Tight End |
Doug Nester | Offensive Line |
Lew Nichols | Running Back |
Doneiko Slaughter | Defensive Back |
Brandon Smith | Wide Receiver |
Julius Welschof | Edge Rusher |
Jacoby Windmon | Linebacker |
Updated Steelers 53-man roster
- Current roster: 53 players
- Cuts remaining: 0
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, Drew Allar
RB: Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, Eli Heidenreich (RB/WR)
FB: Riley Nowakowski
TE: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Robert Tonyan
WR: DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard, Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek, Kaden Wetjen
OL: Zach Frazier, Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick, Max Iheanachor, Dylan Cook, Gennings Dunker, Brock Hoffman, Spencer Anderson, Ryan McCollum
DL: Cameron Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Yahya Black, Gabriel Rubio, Kevin Jobity Jr.
EDGE: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer
LB: Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Cole Holcomb, Carson Bruener
CB: Joey Porter Jr.*, Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr., Daylen Everette, Brandin Echols
S: Jalen Ramsey, Jaquan Brisker, Rayshawn Jenkins, Robert Spears-Jennings
ST: Chris Boswell (K), Cameron Johnston (P), Christian Kunz (LS)
Steelers' IR/Eliable to Return list
- Jalen Ramsey, S
- Jack Driscoll, OL
Notable cuts
After cutting multiple players who were unlikely to have a shot at a roster spot, the Steelers chose to release hybrid edge/linebacker Jamin Davis. Davis, a first-round pick of the Commanders back in 2021, played well this preseason but ultimately couldn't convince the coaching staff to expand the edge room beyond four players.
It wasn't a cut, but the Steelers made what will likely be their most notable roster move of the deadline by trading Broderick Jones to the Dallas Cowboys. Check out all the details about the trade here.
In a bit of a stunner, linebacker Elandon Roberts is among the players being released by the Steelers on Sunday. The veteran was brought back to Pittsburgh during training camp, and it was assumed he would replace Malik Harrison as a backup LB. That no longer appears to be the case.
Add Kaleb Johnson to the list of notable departures. The 2025 third-round pick is on the move to the Green Bay Packers, ending his very short and confusing career in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers also said goodbye to veteran running back and speical teams ace Travis Homer, defensive lineman Dean Lowry, running back Lew Nichols, linebacker Malik Harrison, and defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo.
Potential waiver wire targets from around the league
Junior Colson, LB
After releasing both Elandon Roberts and Malik Harrison, the Pittsburgh Steelers could use depth at the off-ball linebacker position. At 6'3'' and 247 pounds, Junior Colson—a 2024 third-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers—could be an excellent addition off waivers. Colson is looking to rebound after missing the entire 2025 season with a shoulder injury.
Jaydon Blue, RB
After trading Kaleb Johnson and releasing both Lew Nichols and Travis Homer, the Steelers could be in the market for a running back. Jaydon Blue didn't catch on in Dallas, but he possesses remarkable speed. The Steelers could take a flier on the 2025 fifth-round pick.
Sam Williams, EDGE
The Steelers are likely satisfied with their edge rusher room. But in the event they are looking to upgrade from Jack Sawyer (or add a fifth EDGE to the roster), Sam Williams is an intriguing potential waiver wire claim. Williams is a bit stiff, but he's an explosive athlete who can convert speed to power as a rusher.
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