The long wait is finally over. On Tuesday, August 29th, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a flood of 17 roster moves in order to be roster-compliant by the NFL cutdown deadline. These moves came after Omar Khan had been chipping away at the roster in previous days leading up to the deadline.
Now we have our first official look at the Steelers 53-man roster heading into the 2023 season. Obviously, Pittsburgh could still make a few changes at the bottom of their roster, and they may elect to do so in the coming days.
For now, anyway, here is our first look at the Steelers initial 53-man roster ahead of the 2023 NFL season following roster cuts, according to the Steelers official Twitter account.
Steelers 53-man roster 2023:
QB: Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph
RB: Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland
WR: George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, Allen Robinson II, Calvin Austin III, Miles Boykin, Gunner Olszewski
TE: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward
OT: Broderick Jones, Dan Moore Jr. Chukwuma Okorafor, Dylan Cook
IOL: Isaac Seumalo, James Daniels, Mason Cole, Nate Herbig, Spencer Anderson
IDL: Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Keeanu Benton, DeMarvin Leal, Montravius Adams, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Armon Watts
EDGE: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Markus Golden
LB: Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Kwon Alexander, Mark Robinson
CB: Patrick Peterson, Joey Porter Jr., Levi Wallace, Elijah Riley, Chandon Sullivan, James Pierre
SAF: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Damontae Kazee, Keanu Neal, Miles Killebrew
ST: Chris Boswell, Pressley Harvin III, Braden Mann, Christian Kuntz
There are a couple of things we noticed right away. For starters, the Pittsburgh Steelers did indeed elect to keep a sixth wide receiver for the 2023 season. Many speculated that the team may go back to only keeping five and that Gunner Olszewski would be the odd man out of the group. This isn't the case, as both he and Miles Boykin are on the roster together following cuts.
At the tight end position, the Steelers are keeping just three players: Pat Freiermuth, Connor Heyward, and rookie Darnell Washington. Sadly, Zach Gentry got the axe just before the deadline and is no longer with the team. This came as a bit of a surprise, but it shows the trust that the coaching staff has in Washington as the 'Y' tight end.
On the offensive line, Omar Khan pulled off the unimaginable -- trading not one, but two offensive linemen just before the deadline. Kevin Dotson was shipped to the Rams on Sunday evening, while Kendrick Green was traded to the Texans just hours before the deadline. The Steelers get some improved Day 3 draft capital over the next two years in return. Their departures help secure a spot on the team for rookie Spencer Anderson.
On the interior defensive line, it was Breiden Fehoko who fell short of making the Steelers roster in 2023. Pittsburgh devoted seven spots to defensive linemen so players like Isaiahh Loudermilk, Montravius Adams, and Armon Watts still made the team.
One of the biggest surprises was Pittsburgh's decision to roll with just four off-ball linebackers. This came after elected to part ways with both Tanner Muse and Nick Kwiatkoski. Just as interesting is the Steelers' decision to hang onto a pair of punters. For the time being, both Pressley Harvin III and Braden Mann have made the final roster.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could be destined for a few more changes at the bottom of their roster prior to their Week 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers, but for now, here is your 53-man roster for the 2023 NFL season.