NFL teams are finding out fast what Kaden Wetjen can do with even a little space.
The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wrapped up his preseason with a punt return touchdown against the Buffalo Bills on August 28, 2026, and it was the kind of play that has followed him from the JUCO ranks to Iowa to the NFL. Wetjen fielded the punt near the 45-yard line, changed direction, and then hit the gas to slip past Buffalo with barely a hand on him for the first punt return touchdown of his career.
That burst has long been part of his calling card. At Iowa, Wetjen finished last season as the program’s career return touchdowns leader with six, moving past Tim Dwight. Opponents kept kicking to him anyway, and Buffalo just became the latest team to pay the price.
Wetjen’s path to this point has been anything but ordinary. After starring at Williamsburg High School in Williamsburg, Iowa, he drew only two offers, from Massachusetts and Central Arkansas, before beginning at Iowa Western Community College. He spent two successful seasons there, then walked on at Iowa and turned himself into a playmaker.
In Pittsburgh, the Steelers are already seeing why they were so interested. Wetjen’s offense was limited in college by Iowa’s inconsistent attack, but he has shown enough hands and speed to matter there too. In three preseason games, he finished with three catches for 86 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown, plus 203 total return yards and that punt return score.
His role figures to begin on special teams, where he is most likely to open the season as Pittsburgh’s primary punt and kick returner. He is also listed as Roman Wilson’s primary backup, which puts him somewhere between fourth and sixth on the wide receiver depth chart depending on the scheme.
The Steelers have not fully opened the playbook for him yet, but Wetjen has done enough to prove he can make something happen when the ball gets to him in space. With Aaron Rodgers under center in year two, Pittsburgh could keep finding ways to work him in if he keeps cashing in his chances.
In Other News...
Former Hawkeyes Are Suddenly Fighting For NFL Spots Again
The NFLs late-August roster crunch has put a lot of familiar Iowa names back in the spotlight, with teams required to trim down to 53 players by Aug. 30. For the Hawkeyes, it is a reminder of just how much movement comes with this part of the calendar, as 46 former Iowa players are currently trying to hold onto jobs or find new ones around the league.
Among the latest developments, Mark Gronowski has been cut and could still surface again with the Miami Dolphins, while Geno Stones path is less clear after being waived by the Buffalo Bills. Those kinds of transactions are piling up quickly for Iowa alumni, and with the deadline approaching, several more former Hawkeyes may be left waiting to see whether their next call comes with a final roster spot or another fresh start. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas Week 1 Offense Still Has A Few Spots Worth Watching
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The real intrigue remains at receiver, where the rotation could still shift before kickoff and even after it. For a team that has spent much of the offseason sorting out how the pieces fit together, those final decisions matter, because Iowa is still trying to find the right mix of reliability and playmaking on an offense that could use both. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Commits Are Already Giving Hawkeyes Fans Plenty To Watch
Even before they arrive in Iowa City, a handful of Hawkeyes commits are already making the case for why fans have plenty to track on Friday nights this fall. The latest round of high school games gave Iowa followers a look at future pieces on both sides of the ball, with offensive prospects helping move the chains and defensive pledges showing up in games that mattered for their teams.
The appeal for Iowa goes beyond the box score. These are the kinds of performances that keep the recruiting classes feeling alive long after the commitments are made, especially when players are producing in different roles and different systems. For Hawkeyes fans, it is another reminder that the programs future is still being written on high school fields around the country, one game at a time. [Read more 🡒]