There will be no shortage of moves as the Aug. 30 cutdown deadline rapidly approaches and teams trim down from 90 players to 53. Sadly, some fan favorites/hidden gems won't make the final roster, and the Pittsburgh Steelers could learn that the hard way — by their own doing.
How the Steelers' quarterback room shakes out has been at the very top of the club's offseason storylines. Of course, Aaron Rodgers is firmly entrenched as the starter, and Mason Rudolph is the primary backup, barring a trade. Then there's third-round rookie Drew Allar and second-year pro Will Howard; it's a crowded group, to say the least.
Naturally, many have wondered who the odd man out will be. Most franchises typically carry two passers on game day and no more than three. It's a numbers game — one Pittsburgh doesn't seem too concerned about, at least based on head coach Mike McCarthy's comments.
The answer to McCarthy's signal-caller conundrum appeared to be all of the above during a recent press conference. That's fine (not really), but one way or another, expect sacrifices elsewhere if the Steelers choose to keep their QB quartet. Several guys will get the short end of the stick, specifically the four names below.
4 Pittsburgh Steelers who could get cut at the expense of rostering 4 QBs
Dean Lowry, DL
Lowry's made it this far because of his longstanding familiarity with McCarthy. The two have a deep-rooted connection from their Green Bay Packers days; the latter drafted the former in the fourth round back in 2016.
A torn ACL this past summer ended Lowry's 2025 campaign before it even began. He's an aging part-time contributor (turned 32 in June) on a veteran minimum contract and coming off a serious knee injury. His special teams usage has declined over time, too, rendering him nearly obsolete.
Pittsburgh's abundance of defensive linemen doesn't help Lowry's case either. Especially now that sixth-round rookie Gabriel Rubio is making a name for himself.
Robert Spears-Jennings, S
Want to see a seventh-round selection disappear? Well, that's basically what the Steelers are doing with Spears-Jennings if hanging onto all of Rodgers, Rudolph, Allar, and Howard is the priority.
Between DeShon Elliott, Jalen Ramsey's positional versatility and free-agent newcomers Jaquan Brisker and Rayshawn Jenkins, Pittsburgh is pretty set at safety. They're all established vets and career starters. Spears-Jennings, whom the organization took No. 224 in April, is the kid of the rotation and, fair or not, may get treated as such.
Spears-Jennings has gotten valuable first-team reps during his first training camp because of Ramsey and Elliott's health (or lack thereof), which might be for naught. A practice squad relegation notably opens the door for rival front offices to swoop in and poach the Oklahoma product onto their active roster.
Lew Nichols and Eli Heidenreich, RBs
Holding four running backs is becoming increasingly challenging, and it gets even harder when you already have to account for a foursome of quarterbacks. Put two and two together, and that spells trouble for Nichols and Heidenreich.
Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle are locked in as the top two options and will handle most of the load in a 1A/1B split. Meanwhile, Travis Homer will presumably claim the third-down/blocking dirty work role. So unless the Steelers are fully embracing the personnel imbalance, Nichols and Heidenreich are fighting an uphill battle.
Nichols was retained on a reserve/future deal in January and has followed up a solid 2025 preseason with a solid effort in 2026. Potentially losing him isn't as tough a pill to swallow as cutting Heidenreich would be.
Heidenreich is another Steelers seventh-round rookie at risk of a demotion at the expense of Rodgers, Rudolph, Howard, and Allar's collective expense. The Navy alum is a unique prospect with an intriguing dual-threat skill set as a hybrid runner and receiver.
Like Spears-Jennings, it wouldn't be shocking to see someone pounce on Heidenreich if given the chance.
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