The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent the offseason turning over just about every corner of the roster, and Travis Homer is one of the names caught in the middle of that churn. He was brought in as running back depth, but the bigger reason he matters is on special teams.
That’s the problem for Homer: even with a role that makes sense on paper, his spot is far from safe. His chances of sticking around feel like a coin flip, and there may not be much he can do about it in camp.
The Steelers’ running back room is part of what makes this so tricky. Kaleb Johnson, a third-round pick just a year ago, is already under pressure after a rough first season. His clearest path to the roster now appears to be as a third running back with little special teams value.
Then there’s Eli Heidenreich, the newcomer with a different kind of appeal. He’s expected to offer something as both a receiver and runner, while also potentially helping on special teams. But that still has to be proven.
That leaves Homer in a strange spot. He’s the known quantity, the player who already fits the back-end running back and special teams mold.
But that familiarity doesn’t guarantee anything. It just means the Steelers know what they’re getting.
And that’s where the roster math gets messy. Homer can make a case if the depth behind him doesn’t hold up, and if special teams needs keep him in the mix. The Steelers have reshaped that part of the roster too, which gives him a lane if nobody else steps forward.
There is a path for him to make the team. It’s just not a path he fully controls. For Homer, making the roster now depends as much on other players struggling as it does on anything he does himself.
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Second-year tight end JJ Galbreath is among the younger players who have noticed the shift, and that matters for a roster trying to turn a fresh start into something lasting. Grudens message was simple enough: trust McCarthy, because he believes the new coach is built for the job. Whether that confidence carries over once the games start is the real question, but the Steelers at least seem to be hearing the right kind of noise before the first snap. [Read more 🡒]