We're at a week and counting until the start of the 2026 NFL season, and the Pittsburgh Steelers officially have their 17-man practice squad in place. After making some brutal roster decisions to go from 90 to 53 players, head coach Mike McCarthy and his staff have signed their practice squad for the upcoming season... and it includes some familiar faces.
Some of the players named to the practice squad had excellent summer performances at training camp and the preseason. In fact, many fans would argue that a few of the names on the PS were robbed of a spot on the 53-man roster.
Thankfully, several of their most deserving players circled back to Pittsburgh on the practice squad, which means they could hear their names called up to the active roster at any point. Here's a full look at the Steelers' initial 2026 practice squad.
Pittsburgh Steelers full 2026 practice squad
- RB Lew Nichols
- RB Travis Homer
- WR Brandon Smith
- WR Max Hurelman
- WR Brandon Johnson
- TE Lake McRee
- G/T Doug Nester
- OG Steven Jones
- DT Esezi Otomewo
- DT Kyler Baugh
- ILB Jacoby Windmon
- OLB Julius Welschof (International)
- OLB Bradyn Swinson
- S Juanyeh Thomas
- S Sebastian Castro
- CB Doneiko Slaughter
- CB Car’lin Vigers
It's important to note that just because these are the 17 names on the practice squad to begin the year doesn't mean the Pittsburgh Steelers can't and won't make changes to this unit. It's also worth noting that these players can be poached from the team at any given moment if another NFL club is willing to sign them to its active roster.
While we still often refer to this as a 16-man practice squad, there is a 17th allocated spot for a player on the International Pathway Program. For the past few years, this has gone to the German-born Julius Welschof. The big pass rusher claims this spot again for the 2026 season.
Perhaps the most deserving of the 53-man roster on this list is Lew Nichols, who is coming off his second straight impressive preseason with the Steelers. Nichols is coming off a season in which he carried the ball 20 times for 87 yards and a touchdown. Nichols performed well enough to earn the RB3 job, so having him as added practice squad depth is excellent for the Steelers.
Many Steelers fans are also familiar with players like wide receiver Max Hurleman, defensive tackle Esezi Otomewo, safety Sebastian Castro, and cornerback Doneiko Slaughter. Like Nichols, both Hurleman and Slaughter were standout performers in August.
On paper, the Pittsburgh Steelers put together a strong practice squad. During the season, it's likely that we see several names from this list called up to the active roster when injuries strike.
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