PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are down to their official 53-man roster, and now the real sorting begins.
Between now and the Week 1 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, plenty can still change. But for the moment, the Steelers have a clear starting point for the 2026 season, and that means the first depth chart is taking shape. Under new head coach Mike McCarthy, the team hasn’t placed a ton of weight on these lists, but there’s still plenty to watch when the initial version lands.
The biggest eyebrow-raiser is at quarterback, where the Steelers kept four players. That group isn’t expected to shuffle in 2026, so this is the setup to get comfortable with.
Running back is another spot with a defined pecking order. Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle are the headliners in a room that could be a little thin, while the rookie fullback and special teams contributor made enough noise in the preseason to earn a real offensive role.
At receiver, the Steelers are betting on Roman Wilson again. If that doesn’t click, help is waiting. Rookie Germie Bernard has superstar potential and could climb into the WR3 spot quickly.
Tight end got a notable late addition in veteran Robert Tonyan, known as Bobby Onions or The Tonyan Ring. He once hauled in 11 touchdown passes from Aaron Rodgers in 2020, and he now gives Pittsburgh a steady depth option behind Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington.
Up front, Troy Fautanu starts his first season as the team’s official left tackle, with his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl pursuits beginning there. Mason McCormick also shifted to the left side this offseason and has Brock Hoffman behind him as he looks ahead to a possible contract extension in 2027.
Zach Frazier is already being viewed as one of the best centers in the league, while Ryan McCollum’s place surprised a bit after an underwhelming preseason showing. Still, his familiarity with both the NFL and the organization keeps him in the mix.
The questions get louder as the line moves on. Spencer Anderson is the current answer, though confidence level there isn’t exactly sky-high. Max Iheanachor’s route to the starting job opened up after the Steelers traded Broderick Jones to the Dallas Cowboys, and now it’s his turn.
The defensive front is less about labels than roles. Don’t mistake Keeanu Benton’s spot for a demotion - he and his group are expected to share the field often, so the listing is more formality than statement. The Steelers also have two capable nose tackles, which keeps that part of the defense straightforward.
At outside linebacker, the same logic applies. T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig are all expected to be on the field constantly, and the order on the chart matters less than the workload they’ll share.
Inside linebacker brought one of the preseason’s biggest surprises when Elandon Roberts was released. Carson Bruener turned enough heads to possibly make Roberts expendable after being brought in recently.
The secondary looks strong, assuming Joey Porter Jr. is signed or comfortable playing out the final year of his deal. At nickel, the Steelers have two veterans there, exactly the kind of setup defensive coordinator Patrick Graham wants.
Jaquan Brisker is set to make an immediate impression in his first year with his hometown team. And with DeShon Elliott out for at least the first four games, Rayshawn Jenkins is lined up for heavy early-season snaps.
In Other News...
Steelers Suddenly Have No Margin For Error Protecting Aaron Rodgers
The Steelers trimmed down to their initial 53-man roster with one clear area of concern hanging over the offense: tackle depth. With Troy Fautanu, Dylan Cook and rookie Max Iheanachor counted as the only true tackles on the active roster and Jack Driscoll landing on injured reserve, Pittsburgh is left with very little wiggle room if the line takes an early hit.
That puts immediate pressure on the front office to keep searching for help, even after bringing Doug Nester and Steven Jones back to the practice squad. External names like Blake Freeland, Taylor Decker and Cam Robinson are at least part of the conversation, which tells you how thin the margin is as the Steelers try to keep Aaron Rodgers protected and the season from getting complicated before it really begins. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Roster Choice Already Looks Worse For One Big Reason
The Steelers went into roster cutdown week making a choice that spoke volumes about how they value depth at quarterback. They kept four passers on the 53-man roster, including Will Howard, Drew Allar and Mason Rudolph, while moving on from inside linebacker Elandon Roberts, a defender who had a real case to help on that side of the ball.
What makes the decision look even more questionable is the timing of the league-wide cutdown period, which left other young quarterbacks available for teams to target. Will Levis and Joe Milton were among the names who surfaced after final cuts, and both could have been options for the practice squad if Pittsburgh had wanted to reinforce the position without carrying so many arms on the active roster. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Get Encouraging Will Howard News At Crucial Time
The Steelers are set up to enter the 2026 regular season with four quarterbacks on hand, and the latest update on Will Howard gives the group a much cleaner look heading into Week 1. General manager Omar Khan said Howard, who was evaluated for a concussion after the preseason finale, is expected to clear protocol in the coming days and be available for the opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
For Howard, the news matters beyond just one game. His rookie season included time on the injured list, so getting through this latest scare would be an encouraging step as Pittsburgh tries to stabilize its quarterback room early in the year. The Steelers still have a little waiting to do, but the signs are better than they were a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]