Final Updated Steelers 53-Man Roster Projection

Aug 27, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Eli Heidenreich (29) and quarterback Drew Allar (16) celebrate after scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the third quarter at New Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Final Updated Steelers 53-Man Roster Projection

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jobe Morrison | Last updated Aug 28, 2026 10:51 AM ET

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have completed their first preseason under new head coach Mike McCarthy. They fell to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night and now turn their attention to their Week 1 opponent. The Atlanta Falcons are scheduled to visit Pittsburgh with questions of their own.

With that, some shuffling is taking place as the Steelers prepare to finalize their 53-man roster. The team is just a few days away from making some difficult decisions and Thursday night provided many players with their final opportunity to make an impression.

Here is the updated 53-man roster projection ahead of cutdown day:

OFFENSE (25)

Quarterback (3):Aaron Rodgers , Mason Rudolph, Drew Allar . Will Howard could be headed to IR if he does get diagnosed with a concussion. That move would come after the roster cut-down deadline so that he’d be eligible to return in 2026 if needed.

Running back (3): Rico Dowdle , Jaylen Warren , Eli Heidenreich. Heidenreich showed some things in the run game and on special teams. His versatility really stands out as well. This will come down to Travis Homer, Lew Nichols, or Heidenreich.

Tight end (4): Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Robert Tonyan, Riley Nowakowski . No big surprises here as Nowakowski had a good preseason showing.

Aug 27, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Riley Nowakowski (37) carries the ball defended by Buffalo Bills linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr (52) during the first quarter at New Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Wide receiver (6): DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson, Germie Bernard, Kaden Wetjen, Ben Skowronek. Wetjen saved his spot Thursday night after having a rough second preseason game.

Offensive tackle (4): Broderick Jones, Dylan Cook, Troy Fautanu, Max Iheanachor. No changes here as the unit looks pretty set.

Interior offensive line (5): Zach Frazier, Spencer Anderson, Mason McCormick, Brock Hoffman, Gennings Dunker. Hoffman’s previous experience at center makes him the top option on the interior.

DEFENSE (25)

Aug 27, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer (33) tackles Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. (20) during the second half at New Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Outside linebacker (4): T .J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer . No changes and no surprises.

Inside linebacker (5): Patrick Queen, Cole Holcomb, Payton Wilson, Carson Bruener, Elandon Roberts. No changes here as Roberts had another big showing, though Bruener had a couple of rough moments Thursday night.

Defensive tackle (6): Cam Heyward, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, Gabriel Rubio . This group began to take shape after the first preseason game. Rubio had another strong performance and his showing serious promise.

Aug 21, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Daylen Everette (23) against the New York Jets during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Cornerback (6): Joey Porter Jr., Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr., Brandin Echols, Daylen Everette, Jalen Ramsey . No surprises here as this has been the group throughout preseason.

Safety (4): Jaquan Brisker, DeShon Elliott, Robert Spears-Jennings, Rayshawn Jenkins . Jenkins, Elliott, and Brisker all sat out Thursday night. Spears-Jennings has had a good preseason and will almost certainly be a top special teamer.

Special teams (3): Chris Boswell (K), Cameron Johnston (P), Christian Kuntz (LS) . No changes again and no surprises once more.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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