The Pittsburgh Steelers made numerous difficult decisions on Sunday when they were forced to cut their roster down to 53 players by the 6 p.m. ET deadline. Though the team's decision to officially keep four quarterbacks drew all the buzz, the Steelers quietly made some bizarre decisions at running back, which included cutting Lew Nichols.
Hours before the NFL roster deadline, general manager Omar Khan traded Kaleb Johnson to the Green Bay Packers. With the 2025 third-round pick no longer on the team, Nichols seemed to have a clear path to the roster.
But when the last of the cutdowns were announced, Nichols found his name on the list that all NFL hopefuls fear.
Nichols joined Travis Homer with the running backs who did not make the team. We all knew Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle were safe. Interestingly, the Steelers went with rookie Eli Heidenreich as their third and final running back on the 53-man roster.
Lew Nichols deserved a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers' 53-man roster, but didn't make the team
It's impossible to mention a list of overall winners from the Steelers' 2026 preseason without mentioning Lew Nichols. But I'll do you one further: you can't mention a list of winners from the 2025 preseason without putting Nichols' name on there either.
Though his second preseason with the Steelers came under a new coaching staff, Mike McCarthy and his crew must have seen everything they needed to see from Nichols, and they still passed on the long-shot running back.
Last preseason, Nichols carried the ball 11 times for 87 yards (7.9 yards per carry), while chipping in five receptions for 36 yards. This August, Nichols earned 87 yards on 20 carries (4.35 yards per carry) while punching in a rushing touchdown. He also had a rushing score brought back due to a holding penalty.
Case in point: Nichols was both effective and impressive in back-to-back summers with the Steelers, but just like last year, he couldn't find a way to make the team. And while his numbers weren't gaudy during the preseason this year, he was still the most effective runner on the team.
Nichols showed a combination of quick feet, vision, and the ability to hit the hole hard. He also quietly showed the ability to chip in pass protection. But despite fighting tooth and nail for a roster spot, he still fell short.
Sometimes the final spots on the 53-man roster don't always go to the most deserving players. There's no question Lew Nichols was one of the top 53 players on the Pittsburgh Steelers' 90-man summer roster, but for one reason or another, he drew the short straw on cutdown day.
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