Following a 28-27 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Pittsburgh Steelers released 11 players on Friday, trimming their roster down to 79 players as the franchise faces a league-mandated 53-man roster deadline under head coach Mike McCarthy.
The music has stopped in Orchard Park, and for dozens of hopefuls across the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp roster, a seat on the final squad is slipping away. Following Thursday night’s preseason finale at Highmark Stadium, the organization moved quickly to release 11 players, per reporting from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With 79 players currently remaining in camp, management must deliver 26 additional pink slips before the Sunday deadline to reach the league-mandated limit of 53.
Preseason Finale and the Quarterback Equation
Thursday evening’s contest against Buffalo gave the coaching staff an intensive final look at younger contributors who logged heavy minutes under difficult circumstances. These guys had to play a lot of football tonight,
McCarthy noted after the game, highlighting the heavy burden placed on players stressed between special teams and offense and defense.
The evaluation carries immense weight for a veteran-heavy squad preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. While Aaron Rodgers remains the obvious starter and Mason Rudolph has locked down the primary backup role, the bigger discussion centers on whether Pittsburgh will keep four signal-callers. Alongside Rodgers and Rudolph, rookie Drew Allar and second-year player Will Howard factor into the team’s quarterback plans, though Howard’s evaluation for a potential head injury following the finale could provide a natural path to the injured reserve list.
As a whole, I feel really good about our body of work that we were able to accomplish, not just the quarterbacks. It gives us a chance to set a plan as we go into these next 72 hours and get the roster in the best position we possibly can, but then move on and get ready for Atlanta.
Mike McCarthy, Head Coach, Pittsburgh Steelers
Position Battles and Special Teams Realities
Beyond the quarterback room, roster battles at running back and wide receiver have forced difficult decisions. In the backfield, Travis Homer maintains a stranglehold on the personal protector role, which likely secures his roster spot despite strong competition from Lew Nichols, who deserves to make this team the most in the four-way competition that also involved Kaleb Johnson and Eli Heidenreich. At wide receiver, the core group features DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman, Roman Wilson, Germie Bernard, and Kaden Wetjen, while Ben Skowronek’s status bears watching after he left Thursday’s game to be evaluated for a concussion.
Up front, the offensive line group appears largely settled with tackles Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, Dylan Cook, and Max Iheanachor. An ankle injury at practice last week will let the team stash Jack Driscoll on the injured reserve list, easing some of the roster crunch. The interior line features Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, Spencer Anderson, Brock Hoffman, and Gennings Dunker, leaving Ryan McCollum as an undeserving cut whom the staff struggled to fit onto the 53-man limit.
Defensive Line Stability and Injury Stashing
Defensively, the interior line features Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Yahya Black, and Dean Lowry. Gabriel Rubio pushed hard for a spot, but Dean Lowry did not dress for Thursday night’s game, signaling his secure standing on the club and leaving Rubio as a candidate to clear waivers safely.
A notable battle emerged at inside linebacker where Keonta Jenkins has been in the mix early and often during individual drills alongside Kaleb Elarms-Orr. That emergence puts pressure on Joe Andreessen, who served as a reserve over the past two seasons but now finds himself on the outside looking in during early camp sessions at St. John Fisher University.
A Look Across the AFC Landscape
Buffalo’s quarterback room also saw minor shifts as Kyle Allen was intercepted on Thursday, potentially handing Shane Buechele the edge for the backup job behind Josh Allen. In the offensive backfield, Ian Wheeler’s receiving ability in short spurts could win him a roster spot over Frank Gore Jr., who spent the previous two seasons on the practice squad.
As both franchises navigate their final weekend evaluations, the math remains unforgiving. With NFL front offices weighing health status against special teams utility, the incoming wave of transactions will reshape depth charts permanently before the regular season kicks off.
