Five Steelers Players on Chopping Block With Coaching Change

With a new head coach set to take over in the coming days or weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers' roster is sure to see some upheaval this offseason.

As Mike Tomlin exits the picture upon stepping down following a 19-year stint in Pittsburgh, his system and vision for the team is set to more or less become obsolete.

While general manager Omar Khan remains in place, meaning an entirely new regime won't be joining the organization, a healthy number of changes will still have to be made amongst the team's personnel as they step into a new era.

With that, here are five players who could be on the chopping block for the Steelers.

LB Patrick Queen

Pittsburgh was able to poach Queen from its division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, in free agency ahead of the 2024 campaign on a three-year, $41 million deal.

He served as the Steelers' hub of communication on defense while wearing the green dot on his helmet, and while he had his moments of good play for the team over the past two seasons, his inconsistencies in coverage combined with a league-leading 32 tackles in 2025, per Pro Football Focus, makes him a prime cut candidate.

Should Pittsburgh land on that decision, it would save $13.330 million by releasing him while also incurring $3.863 million in dead money, per Over the Cap.

Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (81) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

TE Jonnu Smith

There was some hope that Smith would emerge as one of Aaron Rodgers' top targets upon arriving in Pittsburgh via trade from the Miami Dolphins alongside Jalen Ramsey last summer, but he never got in sync with the four-time MVP and struggled to find his footing.

Despite his prior experience playing under Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith with the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons, Jonnu Smith finished the year with just 222 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 38 catches while playing 52 percent of the team's offensive snaps.

With Arthur Smith on his way out of Pittsburgh next to Tomlin, the 30-year-old tight end could be in that same boat despite being under contract for the 2026 campaign.

The Steelers would save $7 million by cutting him, which feels like a no-brainer for them as they move forward.

WR Roman Wilson

A third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after winning a national title at Michigan as a senior, the hope was that Wilson would step in and have an immediate impact for a Steelers team that desperately needed help at wide receiver.

He'd proceed to log just five snaps as a rookie while battling injuries, however, and he posted just 166 yards with two touchdowns on 12 catches this season while consistently being a healthy inactive towards the end of the year while the likes of Adam Thielen, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Scotty Miller earned reps over him.

Wilson is a talented player who has some upside, but it wouldn't come as a major surprise if he doesn't have a place in Pittsburgh's new offense and is an odd man out as a result.

Nov 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) looks on before a play during the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

OLB Alex Highsmith

Unlike the other players on this list, Highsmith is not in danger of being cut and instead could find himself on the trade block.

The Steelers have a stacked group of edge rushers with the likes of T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig alongside Highsmith while Jack Sawyer looks to earn an elevated role next season.

With Watt having just signed a three-year, $123 million extension ahead of training camp last summer and Herbig profiling as a potential long-term building block at just 24-years-old, Pittsburgh could look to move Highsmith, who recorded 9.5 sacks in 13 games this season, in exchange for draft capital and/or a player at a position of need.

Should the Steelers trade him with a post-June 1 designation, they'd recoup $14.5 million in cap savings while taking on $5.602 million in dead money.

DB Jalen Ramsey

Ramsey, who joined the Steelers in the aforementioned trade from the Dolphins alongside Smith, was a bit disappointing this past year.

He certainly held his own at cornerback, but he's no longer the All-Pro-level player that he was earlier in his career, and his move to safety halfway through the season came with mixed results.

It was clear that Tomlin was incredibly fond of Ramsey, so perhaps the latter is in danger of being traded or cut now that the former is no longer with the organization.

Ramsey's contract runs through 2028, but Pittsburgh would save $19.5 million with no dead money charge in 2026 if it were to either trade or release him this offseason.

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