The Pittsburgh Steelers have brought in a group of young players this offseason and last which means there are plenty of veterans on the roster who will need to keep an eye on their backs to be sure they don’t get bumped off the 53-man roster. Here is one veteran on the bubble in each positional unit.
QB Mason Rudolph
The Steelers brought back Mason Rudolph to provide depth after he saw zero interest in free agency. I can’t imagine the team having ton of confidence in him so if rookie Tanner Morgan excels in training camp and the preseason, he could bump Rudolph.
RB Anthony McFarland Jr.
With Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren locked in, Pittsburgh has some freedom with the rest of the depth chart. It seems the Steelers are going to keep Connor Heyward as something of a quasi-fullback and use a spot on the depth chart for him. This means Pittsburgh could opt to not keep Anthony McFarland Jr. who has never lived up to pre-draft hype.
WR Gunner Olszewski
The proposed changes to the rules related to the return game does no favors for a player like Gunner Olszewski who offers little as a wide receiver. The healthy return of Calvin Austin III is another factor in what could be the end of his era with the Steelers.
TE Zach Gentry
How the Steelers handle Connor Heyward will dictate the future of Zach Gentry. If Heyward sticks at tight end, Gentry is on the bubble just by virtue of the fact that Pittsburgh typically never keeps four tight ends.
OL - Kendrick Green
Kendrick Green was drafted to be the heir apparent to Maurkice Pouncey but he was miscast from the beginning. After being benched he had a chance to redeem himself and try to move to guard in 2022, but he failed at that as well. Now with Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig added to the team, Green’s days are numbered.
DL - Montravius Adams
The Steelers added Breiden Fehoko in free agency and Keeanu Benton in the NFL draft which puts backup defensive tackle Montravius Adams on alert that his spot is not certain.
LB - Quincy Roche
There was a point when we thought Quincy Roche would have a nice role on the defense as a pass rusher but once the Steelers added Markus Golden and drafted Nick Herbig, there might not be a spot for Roche now.
CB - James Pierre
How secure James Pierre’s spot is on the roster will depth heavily on how quickly rookie cornerback Cory Trice Jr. comes along in training camp and the preseason. If Trice isn’t ready, Pierre should have another shot to help the team.
S - Miles Killebrew
Safety Mile Killebrew is an ace on special teams but offers little on defense. Pittsburgh has several rookie defenders with tons of promise and if they can help on special teams it could make Killebrew expendable.
ST - Christian Kuntz
The Steelers didn’t work so hard to find and sign Rex Sunahara if Christian Kuntz’s spot on the roster was safe.
