Steelers 53-Man Roster Projection: Three QBs, New Rookies

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are about to play actual football.

Their preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers is here, putting over two weeks of training camp practices to the test and giving plenty of players an opportunity to showcase themselves in live-game action for the first time this summer.

The preseason opener can certainly put players on the map, and change some decisions the team makes about their 53-man roster.

Heading into the game, though, there's a clear direction this team is going to go. Unless there are big surprises, here's what the Steelers' final roster should look like at the end of the month.

Quarterback

Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Drew Allar

Maybe the biggest question and biggest surprise on the roster is at quarterback. Right now, Mason Rudolph holds a strong lead as QB2. Does that last? Well, the preseason may decide that. If it doesn't, Will Howard likely won't stick around.

Mike McCarthy has never been into keeping four quarterbacks, and it's hard to imagine he'll start now. Howard ends up on the practice squad where we sit today.

Running Back

Rico Dowdle, Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson

As much fun as Eli Heidenreich is for local Steelers fans, his chances of making the roster as a rookie are slim. Kaleb Johnson still holds the RB3 job and Travis Homer and Lew Nichols are fighting for a spot ahead of Heidenreich.

When it's all said and done, the guess is that Heidenreich and Nichols end up on the practice squad, Homer finds a new home and Rico Dowdle, Jaylen Warren and Johnson are the three running backs left standing.

Fullback

Riley Nowakowski

The fifth-round rookie out of Indiana has impressed during training camp. He's the only fullback on the roster and is making a name for himself as the lead man for Dowdle and Warren. Mike McCarthy has been impressed, and there's no hiding he's going to make the team.

Tight End

Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Robert Tonyan

Robert Tonyan was named by Aaron Rodgers as one of the more impressive players at training camp. Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington are givens. Really, it's about if the team plans to keep two or three tight ends.

They have the extra space and therefore, keep Tonyan around for Rodgers' final season.

Wide Receiver

DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard, Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek, Kaden Wetjen

No big surprises here. Brandon Smith is fighting as hard as possible for a roster spot, but it's going to be easier to put him on the practice squad and call him up when needed instead of trying to find a place for him on the team.

So far, Wetjen has shown very little as a wide receiver, and Skowronek is mostly a special teamer as well. So expect Smith to get opportunities, but the final group will be what many thought it would be before training camp.

Offensive Line (Interior)

Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, Spencer Anderson, Brock Hoffman, Ryan McCollum, Gennings Dunker

Mike McCarthy said he's open to keeping up to 10 offensive linemen, and he's going to have to. Because Gennings Dunker has struggled so much during training camp, keeping Ryan McCollum is almost a necessity. Hoffman is an easy keep as well, meaning Pittsburgh needs to find an alternative somewhere.

Offensive Tackle

Troy Fautanu, Dylan Cook, Max Iheanachor, Broderick Jones

Broderick Jones is the big "if" here, but with Max Iheanachor being hurt, his chances of sticking around are increasing. The Steelers typically keep at least one swing tackle and then a player who can play multiple positions. They don't really have that this season. So, Jones needs to stay to add more depth, making him the ninth or tenth o-linemen, depending on how you rank them.

Aug 03, 2026; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Gabriel Rubio (96) participates in a practice session at Training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Defensive Tackle

Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, Dean Lowry, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Gabe Rubio

This is where things get difficult. The Steelers defense is loaded, but who do they keep around? Dean Lowry was not someone I had on my 53-man roster going into training camp, but he's played his way into the rotation, for sure. Sebastian Joseph-Day and Yahya Blacks are locks.

Then, there's Gabe Rubio. Can the Steelers sneak him onto the practice squad? Do they want to take the risk? Truthfully, he's played so well at training camp that it's going to be very hard to cut him at the end of the month. Chances are he stays.

Inside Linebacker

Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Cole Holcomb, Carson Bruener

The second big cut of the year is Malik Harrison. The Steelers have clear plans for Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson, and Cole Holcomb is the clear third behind them. Carson Bruener is the special teams ace who's building a role for himself as a role player on defense.

Harrison doesn't have a place. And it's pretty easy to see him being pushed out of the roster. Add over a $4 million cap savings and it feels like an easy prediction that he'll be gone.

Outside Linebacker

T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer

No surprises here. No, the Steelers aren't trading Alex Highsmith or T.J. Watt. They want all four of their edge rushers and are going to keep them, at least in 2026.

Cornerback

Joey Porter Jr., Jamel Dean, Jalen Ramsey, Asante Samuel Jr., Brandin Echols, Daylen Everette

This may be the most loaded room on the Steelers' roster. Asante Samuel Jr.'s emergence at training camp has been fun to watch, but he's not the only one making plays. Jamel Dean has looked great the last week, and before his injury, Brandin Echols was making plays in the slot.

Jalen Ramsey (knee) and Joey Porter Jr. (back) should be back for the start of the regular season. No one really knows if they need to slowly work themselves into the defense, but if the do, Pittsburgh has options. And they're keeping all of them.

Safety

Jaquan Brisker, DeShon Elliott, Robert Spears-Jennings

In order to keep 10 offensive linemen, the Steelers need to cut at least one surprising name. That name is probably Rayshawn Jenkins.

The Steelers want a veteran safety behind DeShon Elliott and Jaquan Brisker. Mike McCarthy has made it known that they are searching for someone, but that may not mean they keep them.

Robert Spears-Jennings has gotten more first-team opportunities than any other rookie on the roster, and he hasn't looked bad running with the ones. With Ramsey's versatility, the Steelers have options to keep Elliott and Brisker fresh, but it also means they only keep three traditional safeties on the roster.

Special Teams

Chris Boswell, Cameron Johnston, Christian Kuntz

No surprises here. Laith Marjan is here for the summer, but he's not beating out Chris Boswell.

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