3 Steelers Who Locked Up Their Roster Spot Against Packers

A few Pittsburgh Steelers players all but locked up their spots on the 53-man roster during the preseason opener.

Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Robert Tonyan (83) runs after a catch against Green Bay Packers linebacker Ty'ron Hopper (59) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Most of the attention from the Pittsburgh Steelers' preseason-opening win over the Green Bay Packers went towards the team's two young quarterbacks in Drew Allar and Will Howard, and rightfully so.

A number of other players around the roster stood out as well, however, and even potentially locked in their 53-man roster spots as a result.

With that, here are three players who potentially fit that label.

Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers safety Robert Spears-Jennings (28) during player introductions against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Robert Spears-Jennings

Spears-Jennings' roster spot wasn't always viewed as being safe throughout the offseason, with both Darnell Savage and Sebastian Castro posing real threats in that regard behind the team's starting safety tandem of DeShon Elliott and Jaquan Brisker.

With Savage being cut and essentially replaced by Rayshawn Jenkins while Castro hasn't stood out during training camp, however, Spears-Jennings has made the most of his opportunities over the past couple of weeks.

The seventh-round rookie has received a ton of playing time with the first-team defense in Latrobe, and he showed why the coaching staff seemingly has a fair amount of faith in him against the Packers with three tackles, one of which went for a loss.

At this point, it's nearly impossible to foresee a world where Pittsburgh doesn't include Spears-Jennings on its 53-man roster.

Robert Tonyan

Signed to a one-year deal in June, Tonyan was never quite a lock to make the 53-man roster as the Steelers' final inclusion at tight end.

His connection with Aaron Rodgers from their days together as members of the Green Bay Packers provided him with an advantage, however, and he parlayed that into a strong start to training camp.

Tonyan's stock has been pointing upwards for some time, and he appears to have sealed his fate with four catches for 61 yards against his former team in the preseason opener.

Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers fullback Riley Nowakowski (37) catches a touchdown pass against Green Bay Packers linebacker TJ Quinn (40) during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Riley Nowakowski

A reigning national champion at Indiana, Nowakowski did a little bit of everything for Pittsburgh against the Packers.

The fifth-round rookie played a total of 21 snaps on the night, per Pro Football Focus, with eight coming across special teams on the coverage and return units on both kicks and punts.

Nowakowski's 13 other reps came on offense, as he spent five in the backfield, six inline and two in the slot.

Though he got his hands on what would've been a touchdown pass from Drew Allar on the first target that came his way, he didn't end up hauling it in.

Nowakowski later made up for it, though, with a four-yard reception for a score with just under two minutes left in the contest.

A hybrid fullback-tight end, Nowakowski cemented himself as a consistent piece of Pittsburgh's offense heading into the regular season.

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