By Tuesday at 4 PM/EST, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the NFL must trim their rosters down to 53 players. That group certainly can change over the coming days, but Pittsburgh’s task today is to set the initial group of 53. They’ll accomplish that either by releasing players or placing them on injured reserve.
Starting last year, NFL rules allowed two players to pass directly to injured reserve with a designation to return later this season, eligible to come back after four weeks. Any additional players who land on injured reserve with the eligibility to return must be carried on the team’s initial 53-man roster for at least one day.
We’ll be updating the list of Steelers reported and confirmed roster moves along the way. Please refresh this page. It won’t automatically update on its own.
Steelers Roster Count: 63 (10 cuts/moves remaining)
August 26’s Cuts
– WR Robert Woods (via Ian Rapoport)
– OT Dylan Cook (via Adam Schefter)
– EDGE DeMarvin Leal (via Jeremy Fowler)
– EDGE Eku Leota (via Ian Rapoport)
Previous Cuts
– QB Logan Woodside*
– RB Evan Hull*
– RB Lew Nichols**
– WR Max Hurleman**
– WR Lance McCutcheon**
– TE Kevin Foelsch*
– TE JJ Galbreath**
– OT Julian Pearl*
– OL Doug Nester*
– OL Steven Jones**
– OG Aiden Williams**
– DL Kyler Baugh**
– EDGE Kenny Willekes*
– EDGE Julius Welschof**
– ILB Mark Robinson**
– CB Kam Alexander*
– CB Kyler McMichael*
– CB Mikey Victor*
– CB Daryl Porter Jr.**
– CB D’Shawn Jamison**
– S Quindell Johnson*
– LS Jake McQuaide*
– P Cameron Johnston**
– K Ben Sauls**
Sauls and Johnston’s names didn’t officially appear on the NFL’s Monday transaction sheet, meaning their moves have yet to be processed. There remains the possibility the Steelers try to trade either of them before Tuesday’s deadline. However, the team announced both were waived/terminated and is the reason why they are still included on the above list.
A third-round pick in 2022, time finally ran out on EDGE DeMarvin Leal. An impressive athlete, the Steelers bounced him between outside linebacker and defensive line throughout his career. Injuries also played a factor, Leal missing most of 2024 with a bad neck injury. Leal spent his final camp on his feet at outside linebacker. A solid start to the summer petered out and while he was loud in the finale against Carolina, it was for the right and wrong reasons. He had several pressures but multiple missed sacks and two penalties. A change of scenery – and scheme – would serve him well.
Offensive tackle Dylan Cook was healthy all summer, but availability wasn’t enough the former undrafted free agent to stick on the 53-man roster. Yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game, Cook’s athletic and versatile but lacks ideal play strength. He’ll look to sign with the Steelers’ practice squad after spending most of 2024 on it.
Outside linebacker Eku Leota had a busy and productive summer, showing speed off the edge and tying for the team preseason lead with seven pressures. But the numbers game squeezed him out. He could revert back to the Steelers’ practice squad.
Veteran WR Robert Woods went from inside the bubble to outside of it by summer’s end. Signed shortly after the NFL Draft, Woods was shuffled to the back of the depth chart behind the likes of Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, and Brandon Johnson. Woods blocked hard and showed sure hands but lacks juice or explosiveness while offering little on special teams. He caught just one pass for 4-yards this preseason.
