The Steelers’ preseason trip to face the Jets wasn’t pretty, but it did sharpen the picture in a few key roster battles. With final cuts coming up fast, Pittsburgh still has decisions to make. On the evidence of this game, though, three veterans helped themselves a lot.
The clearest beneficiary was Mason Rudolph, even though he never took the field against New York. That might sound strange, but the quarterback pecking order is starting to sort itself out.
Rudolph opened the preseason against the Green Bay Packers and went 10-of-11 for 93 yards. After that, head coach Mike McCarthy said he, “saw what he needed to,” from him.
For much of the offseason, Rudolph looked like a player who could be squeezed out of the room. Once camp got rolling, he became the favorite to back up Aaron Rodgers over Will Howard, while Drew Allar looked locked in as the third quarterback and a third-round rookie with his spot secure.
Howard’s 7-of-9, 86-yard showing against Green Bay created a little buzz that Rudolph might even become trade bait. That talk cooled off quickly against the Jets, where Howard threw two interceptions and did little to threaten Rudolph’s hold on the No. 2 job.
At safety, the picture got more complicated once Jalen Ramsey came off the PUP list, but Jalen Ramsey’s return didn’t do anything to knock Jenkins off course. It had not been a sure thing that Pittsburgh would keep four safeties if Ramsey were healthy, especially with Robert Spears-Jennings working with the first-team defense in camp and then backing that up with a solid preseason debut against the Packers. That put Jenkins on shaky ground.
Against the Jets, though, Jenkins answered with exactly the kind of effort that can swing a roster call. He was active as a blitzer, forced Cade Klubnik into an intentional grounding penalty, and showed plenty of violence in the run game.
The 32-year-old looked like he knew the stakes and played accordingly. Four safeties still is not a lock, but after this performance, that looks like the direction Pittsburgh is headed.
Then there’s Robert Tonyan, who keeps doing what a quarterback-friendly tight end is supposed to do. Pittsburgh brought him in June in large part because of his connection with Aaron Rodgers, built over five seasons together in Green Bay from 2018 to 2022. During that stretch, Tonyan totaled 1,437 yards and 17 touchdowns on 137 catches.
His recent production had been far quieter. He recorded just one receiving yard across the 2024 and 2025 campaigns while working more on special teams.
But the preseason has hinted at a different role. Tonyan caught four passes for 61 yards against the Packers, then added two more catches for 17 yards against the Jets.
One of those grabs went for 12 yards on a crossing route with a defender draped on him.
That kind of reliability is exactly why Tonyan looks set as the No. 3 tight end. And if the preseason is any guide, he could have a real chance to contribute once the games count.
In Other News...
Steelers Made A Quick Camp Decision After A Costly Preseason Miss
The Steelers moved quickly after a rough showing in preseason, releasing kicker Laith Marjan in the wake of a missed field goal against the Jets. Marjan had joined Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent and was never really in the mix to win the starting job, but the inconsistency showed up enough for the team to make an early camp adjustment.
Laith Marjans departure also clears a roster spot at a time when the Steelers are still sorting through the back end of the roster. Pittsburgh used the opening by hosting three cornerbacks shortly after the move, a sign the front office is still looking to fine-tune a few positions before the preseason decisions start stacking up. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Secondary Suddenly Has A Joey Porter Jr Problem
The Steelers got a few encouraging signs on the roster front with Max Iheanachor back at practice and Jalen Ramsey activated off the PUP list, but the bigger storyline in the secondary has shifted to Joey Porter Jr. Ramsey has already gone public in support of Porters push for a contract extension, which adds another layer of attention to a negotiation that has become one of the more notable unresolved issues around the team.
Mike McCarthy said the sides are at an impasse, a phrase that usually means the discussion has moved past routine back-and-forth and into a more difficult stretch. With free agency still ahead, Pittsburgh also has the franchise tag available as a possible fallback, which gives the Steelers some leverage but also keeps the situation tense as they try to sort out the future of a key young defender. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Just Got A Reminder About The Jets New QB
The preseason score line may not mean much in the standings, but it did offer a tidy reminder of what the Jets can look like when their passing game gets rolling early. Geno Smith was sharp from the start against Pittsburgh, hitting all seven throws on the opening drive and finishing with 65 yards through the air while working the ball to Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell.
For Steelers fans, the more meaningful part was the overall feel of the game, one in which New York controlled the night and walked away with a 17-0 win. CBS Sports later singled out Smith as one of the preseasons biggest winners, a label that will only add a little more attention the next time Pittsburgh sees him across the field. [Read more 🡒]