The NFL roster cutdown deadline kept the excitement as promised. In the hours leading up to the deadline, hundreds of players around the league flooded the market as they will now look for new homes. The Pittsburgh Steelers made a few shocking decisions of their own.
Cutting a 90-man NFL roster down to just 53 players is never easy. When front offices wave goodbye to 40 percent of their summer roster, they want to be sure they made the right choice. While some of these players will quickly circle back to the practice squad, others will be looking for work.
Ahead of a pivotal 2025 season, Omar Khan, Mike Tomlin, and the coaching staff put their heads together in an effort to keep the 53 best players who could help them get to the postseason and snap their eight-year drought without a playoff win.
Some players on this list are subject to change as waiver wire options and free agents become available, but here's our first look at the Pittsburgh Steelers' initial 53-man roster.
Pittsburgh Steelers' initial 53-man roster for the 2025 NFL season
POSITION | PLAYER |
|---|---|
QB | Aaron Rodgers |
QB | Mason Rudolph |
QB | Skylar Thompson |
QB | Will Howard* |
RB | Jaylen Warren |
RB | Kaleb Johnson |
RB | Kenneth Gainwell |
WR | DK Metcalf |
WR | Roman Wilson |
WR | Calvin Austin III |
WR | Scotty Miller |
WR | Ben Skowronek |
TE | Pat Freiermuth |
TE | Jonnu Smith |
TE | Darnell Washington |
TE/FB | Connor Heyward |
OT | Troy Fautanu |
OT | Broderick Jones |
OT | Calvin Anderson |
OT/OG | Andrus Peat |
OG | Isaac Seumalo |
OG | Mason McCormick |
OG | Spencer Anderson |
C | Zach Frazier |
C | Ryan McCollum |
DL | Cameron Heyward |
DL | Derrick Harmon |
DL | Keeanu Benton |
DL | Yahya Black |
DL | Daniel Ekuale |
DL | Isaiahh Loudermilk |
DL | Logan Lee |
DL | Esezi Otomewo |
EDGE | T.J. Watt |
EDGE | Alex Highsmith |
EDGE | Nick Herbig |
EDGE | Jack Sawyer |
LB | Patrick Queen |
LB | Payton Wilson |
LB | Cole Holcomb |
LB | Malik Harrison |
LB | Carson Bruener |
CB | Jalen Ramsey |
CB | Joey Porter Jr. |
CB | Darius Slay |
CB | Brandin Echols |
CB | Donte Kent |
S | DeShon Elliott |
S | Juan Thornhill |
S | Miles Killebrew |
K | Chris Boswell |
P | Corliss Waitman |
LS | Christian Kuntz |
The Pittsburgh Steelers made their first wave of roster cuts on Monday, but there were no surprises among that group. However, on the day of the roster deadline, that's when some interesting decisions were made.
Many fans were surprised to learn that DeMarvin Leal has been released. The 2022 third-round pick was firmly on the roster bubble, but with Nick Herbig dealing with a minor hamstring injury—and with a few injuries along the interior defensive line—some thought that Leal would make the initial roster.
That was only the tip of the iceberg.
The Steelers made a wave of surprising moves in the secondary. Veteran safety Chuck Clark failed to make the final roster, while cornerbacks James Pierre and Beanie Bishop were both let go by the team. Cory Trice Jr., who suffered a hamstring injury late in training camp, will begin the season on IR with a designation to return.
Though rookie QB Will Howard made the roster, the plan is to designate him IR-eligible to return. This news paves the way for Skylar Thompson. Once thought of as a camp arm and a long shot to make the team, Thompson has cracked the final 53-man roster after a remarkable preseason performance this August. long shot
Overall, the Steelers didn't stray far from their typical roster trends. On offense, they elected to keep three quarterbacks, three running backs, five wide receivers, four tight ends, and nine offensive linemen on their initial roster.
Defensively, Pittsburgh kept its pattern of keeping four edge rushers going in 2025, while devoting an extra spot to the cornerback position.
Just because this is the initial 53-man roster for the Pittsburgh Steelers doesn't mean that it will be their final roster. With an influx of players hitting the waiver wire and others still on the trade block, general manager Omar Khan will be exploring every avenue to improve the team's roster ahead of the 2025 season.
The initial roster is looking strong, and it gives us a great idea of which Steelers players we can expect to see on the field and play pivotal roles during the 2025 season.