Three Players Who Won't Be On Steelers Roster By Week 1

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of decisions to make this offseason. Their additions to this point have added a lot of value to their roster, but also opened the door for plenty of change.

With the NFL Draft around the corner, it's only going to add to the potential of a different-looking team in 2026. And as head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan look to make room for new players, it likely means some bigger names are on their way out before Week 1.

LB Malik Harrison

The Steelers re-signed Cole Holcomb and are doing a lot of digging at the linebacker position for the 2026 NFL Draft. They've met with multiple early-round options like Jacob Rodriguez and Harold Perkins Jr., and have quickly shown heavy interest at the position before April.

That's bad news for Malik Harrison. Entering his second season in Pittsburgh, Harrison carries the highest cap hit of any backup at the position with a $6.7 million hit and possible savings of over $4 million if the team moves on. While a capable backup and a quality special teamer, Harrison is battling for his job with at least two other names in Holcomb and Carson Bruener, and you can expect another to join the mix as well.

The Steelers might have too many linebackers when training camp roles around, meaning someone will need to go by the season. Harrison's cap hit makes him the easy guess.

Oct 26, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (10) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

WR Roman Wilson

Roman Wilson might be the most polarizing player on the Steelers' roster. The third-year wide receiver has yet to find his stride in the NFL and finished last season being inactive. With Michael Pittman Jr. joining the team and the Steelers looking at multiple NFL Draft options at the position, Wilson is not a player who's going to have anything handed to him in 2026.

Add Aaron Rodgers returning and Wilson may be on his way out.

The former third-round pick likely holds trade value, and the Steelers should be able to take advantage of that during training camp. If Wilson breaks out during camp, he's likely to stay and become more involved. If he's clearly behind all of the newcomers, it's hard to justify keeping him, and Pittsburgh will likely end their experiment with a player they once viewed as a key piece to their future.

QB Mason Rudolph

Are the Steelers going to draft a quarterback? Right now, we don't know. They met with several at the NFL Combine and brought in Miami's Carson Beck for a pre-draft visit. It's unlikely they take on in the early rounds, but could look to add another growing player to their roster to learn from Rodgers - who they expect to return.

If they do, there's not much room left for Rudolph. The Steelers typically bring four quarterbacks into training camp but only leave with three. Unless their draft pick struggles, it makes the most sense for Pittsburgh to try and develop Will Howard and a rookie behind Rodgers. Which means Rudolph could find himself on the outside looking in before the season starts.

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