Winners and Losers From Steelers' Preseason Win Over Packers

The preseason opener largely went as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers could've hoped for.

Are there still a number of things to clean up? Of course, with the egregious amount of penalties topping that list next to the play of the offensive line, but the Steelers glided to a 28-9 victory over the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium as both of their young quarterbacks and entire rookie class all showed a ton of promise.

With that, here are our winners and losers from Pittsburgh's win on the North Shore.

Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) looks to pass against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Winners: Drew Allar and Will Howard

The hype for Pittsburgh's quarterback prospects heading into the first game of the preseason was palpable, and they both rose to the occasion.

Howard wasn't perfect, with his placement being a bit erratic to open his outing before making the mistake of putting the ball in harm's way on his last throw of the game, but he finished 7-of-9 for 86 yards and grew increasingly comfortable while exhibiting impressive command of Mike McCarthy's offense.

Allar's high ceiling was on full display as well, with the third-round pick leading three-straight touchdown drives and showcasing surprisingly smooth throwing mechanics (even if his footwork still needs work) in addition to strong poise in the pocket and the ability to make throws on the run.

Losers: Troy Fautanu and Dylan Cook

Of all the position groups on the Steelers' roster, the offensive line was the only one that truly felt like it missed the mark against the Packers, and it all started with the first-team unit.

Fautanu and Cook are slated to start at left and right tackle, respectively, unless first-rounder Max Iheanachor returns from his upper-body injury that kept him out of this contest and snags the job from Cook.

Fautanu had a strong 2025 campaign at right tackle. In his first game action as a left tackle in the NFL, though, he struggled to hold up and got beat consistently in pass protection.

The same goes for Cook, who still has plenty to prove despite a strong five-game sample size to close out last year. If he can't rebound from his subpar performance vs. Green Bay, the door will remain wide open for Iheanachor to beat him out.

Winner: Asante Samuel Jr.

A training camp darling, Samuel Jr. was making plays all over the field against the Packers.

From a pass breakup on Jayden Reed at the five-yard line to shutdown coverage down the field on Savion Williams, Samuel Jr. looked the part of a starting cornerback for the Steelers, and a good one at that.

With a long list of injuries at the position, Samuel Jr. has become all the more imperative for Pittsburgh leading into the regular season.

Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) passes against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Loser: Mason Rudolph

Rudolph played as expected in his first foray into McCarthy's offense, going 10-for-11 for 93 yards and playing things safe in his typical game manager mold.

Because of the promise Howard and Allar showed off, however, Rudolph might need to start worrying about his status when it comes to winning the backup job and making the 53-man roster.

Winners: Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen

Bernard, a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, was nothing short of electric in his Pittsburgh debut. Serving as a safety blanket and top target of Rudolph's, he was a handful to deal with after the catch for Green Bay while posting four receptions for 51 yards and proving why he could make an immediate impact as a rookie.

Wetjen's had a rough camp on the offensive side of the ball, though he more than made up for it with a 74-yard catch on Allar's first completion of the contest before hauling in a five-yard touchdown from him later on.

While Wetjen didn't break free on any of his kick or punt returns, he still accumulated a total of 71 yards and looked the part of a potentially explosive weapon in that area of the game.

Loser: Jack Sawyer

Sawyer did notch a half-sack, but he didn't inspire much confidence with his showing vs. the Packers.

The second-year EDGE rusher couldn't manage to force pressure at a consistent rate, and overall he lacked the type of juice the Steelers would've liked to see out of him.

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

Winners: Robert Spears-Jennings and Devan Boykin

Spears-Jennings has been one of the stories of training camp with his involvement on the first-team defense. The seventh-round rookie wasn't a lock to make the 53-man roster as recently as a month ago, though he sure continues to feel like the favorite to secure the No. 3 safety role with how productive he was against Green Bay with three tackles, one of which went for a loss.

Boykin, an undrafted free agent out of Indiana, had both a tackle for loss and a pass breakup as part of a promising game for the 24-year-old in the secondary.

Loser: Kaleb Johnson

Both Travis Homer and Lew Nichols received opportunities at running back ahead of Johnson in this game, and they combined for 17 touches while the 2025 third-round pick had two.

Johnson recorded just three yards on the night, with his shortage of speed and burst remaining evident. The 22-year-old seems like he might be moving towards the wrong side of the roster bubble, particularly if Nichols keeps stringing together good days on his end.

Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jamin Davis (50) celebrates after sacking Green Bay Packers quarterback Kyron Drones (13) during the second half of a game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Winner: Jamin Davis

A first-round pick at inside linebacker by the Washington Commanders in 2021, Davis has now switched to EDGE and put a ton of impressive reps on tape against Green Bay for the Steelers.

The 27-year-old, who played under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham with the Las Vegas Raiders last year, led Pittsburgh with eight tackles to go alongside three quarterback hits and two sacks.

Davis is not technically sound as a pass rusher, but his athletic traits and high motor make for quite an exciting show.

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