The Pittsburgh Steelers have trimmed their roster down to 53 players, and while some moves are expected, others come as a surprise. Four quarterbacks made the cut, including Skylar Thompson, who impressed in the preseason with a 73.2% completion rate. Rookie Will Howard is currently on the roster but may be moved to injured reserve for flexibility.
The secondary saw significant changes, with popular defensive back Beanie Bishop and corner James Pierre released. Rookie slot corner Donte Kent made the cut despite missing three preseason games due to injury. Meanwhile, rookie inside linebacker Carson Bruener earned a spot over veteran Mark Robinson.
Other notable cuts include Robert Woods, Ke’Shawn Williams, and Max Hurleman from the wide receivers group. The running backs group is set with Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, and Kaleb Johnson. The offensive line has its starting five, but Andrus Peat won a spot as a versatile backup.
The Steelers have a strong tight end position, led by Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith. Tight ends/fullback Darnell Washington also made the cut.
Defensive linemen Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, and Daniel Ekuale remain on the roster. Outside linebackers T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig also stayed put.
The inside linebacker group features Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Malik Harrison, and Carson Bruener. Defensive backs Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Joey Porter Jr., DeShon Elliott, Juan Thornhill, Brandin Echols, Miles Killebrew, and Donte Kent made the cut. Cory Trice Jr. is currently on injured reserve but may be back on the practice squad.
While some familiar names are not on the 53-man roster, they will likely re-emerge this season as the Steelers have a strong system in place to utilize their players effectively.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6577336/2025/08/26/steelers-initial-53-man-roster-cutdown-day