Pittsburgh Steelers

Darnell Washington

TE

Washington broke his arm in Week 17 last season and missed the remainder of the regular season and the team's wild-card playoff loss to the Texans. Now healthy, Washington is expected to handle an expanded role alongside Pat Freiermuth in 2026 after the Steelers released Jonnu Smith earlier in the offseason.

Jaylen Warren

RB

Warren is listed at 215 pounds on the team's official site, and he looks noticeably slimmer at OTAs this week, according to Adamski. Warren set career highs as a rusher last season, carrying the ball 211 times for 958 yards and six touchdowns as part of the Steelers' backfield duo with Kenneth Gainwell, who left in the offseason as a free agent to join Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh replaced Gainwell with Rico Dowdle, and 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson is also in the backfield mix after rushing just 28 times for 69 yards as a rookie. Dowdle is more of a prototypical early-down runner at 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, so perhaps Warren slimmed down to get quicker as a change-of-pace and satellite back after Gainwell was targeted 85 times in 2025. Across four NFL seasons, Warren has 167 career regular-season catches for 1,227 yards and two touchdowns.

Dean Lowry

DT

The veteran defensive lineman from Northwestern missed all of last season due to a knee injury. Across 12 regular-season appearances in 2024, Lowry posted five total tackles, including 1.0 sacks, and one pass defensed. He's expected to compete for a depth role on the Steelers' defensive line.

Pat Freiermuth

TE

As a result, Freiermuth's cap hit for the 2026 campaign will decrease from its current $11.2 million. Pittsburgh's tight end room lost both Jonnu Smith (released) and Connor Heyward (signed with Raiders) this offseason, which leaves Darnell Washington (forearm) as the only established option at the position aside from Freiermuth. With QB Aaron Rodgers back in the fold as well, Freiermuth may be poised for an uptick in volume after putting together a 41-486-4 line on 54 targets in 17 regular-season games in 2025.

Broderick Jones

OT

Jones suffered a neck injury in the Steelers' Week 12 loss against the Bears last season, one that required a spinal fusion surgery the veteran offensive tackle is still recovering from. Considering the Steelers selected offensive tackle Max Iheanachor in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Jones, once healthy, may need to compete for a job that he previously appeared to have a solid grasp on.

Donte Kent

CB

Kent missed the majority of the Steelers' 2025 campaign due to an ankle injury sustained during training camp. Then, just as his 21-day practice window was opened Dec. 3 for a potential return, he sustained an ACL injury that sidelined him for the remainder of his rookie season. However, it now appears he's moved past both issues and will battle for a depth spot in Pittsburgh's cornerback room as the offseason progresses.

Aaron Rodgers

QB

Rodgers signed with the Steelers on Monday -- the first day of OTAs. He made the decision to play another season in late April or early May, after the NFL Draft, and was then in Pittsburgh for a couple of weeks before officially signing his one-year contract. He'll turn 43 late in the 2026 season, and there'd be no guarantee of a starting job in 2027 even if he wanted one. Rodgers also mentioned that he anticipated retiring once Mike Tomlin was gone, only to reconsider when the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy, who was Rodgers' head coach from 2006 to 2018 in Green Bay. The offense could look much different from last year's, with the Steelers adding WRs Michael Pittman and Germie Bernard to give a better three-wide look.

Drew Allar

QB

Will Howard

QB

Prior to Rodgers re-signing, Howard was in position to compete for a starting role against veteran Mason Rudolph and rookie third-round pick Drew Allar (ankle). Rodgers is comfortably situated atop the quarterback depth chart now that the 42-year-old starter has returned to Pittsburgh for the start of OTAs, while Howard will have to jostle for positioning on the depth chart and could realistically miss out on making the team at all.

Mason Rudolph

QB

Rodgers will reclaim the starting role he possessed in 2025, leaving Rudolph to battle for the second spot on the depth chart with 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard and 2026 third-round pick Drew Allar (ankle). If one of the younger quarterbacks shows promise in training camp, the Steelers could also opt to trade Rudolph to a team seeking an experienced backup. Rudolph has posted a 9-9-1 record in 19 regular-season starts split between the Steelers and Titans, including a loss in his lone start of 2025 with Pittsburgh while Rodgers was sidelined by a wrist injury.

Chris Boswell

PK

Boswell's deal matches the record-setting contract Brandon Aubrey earned with the Cowboys this offseason in terms of its $7 million annual average. That said, Boswell is 35 years old, and his contract could well have a potential 'out' before its conclusion in 2030. Boswell converted 27 of 32 field-goal attempts (84 percent) while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games 2025, in addition to 42 of 43 extra-point tries. He converted more than 90 percent of his field-goal tries in both 2023 and 2024.

Eli Heidenreich

RB

The team roster and Heidenreich's player page both show 'RB/WR' as his position, reflecting uncertainty about his NFL future after a three-year run at Navy yielded 169 carries and 109 catches (for 3,151 yards and 23 TDs). A 4.44 40 at the combine confirmed that Heidenreich has NFL-caliber athleticism, but he's thin for a running back (6-feet, 198 pounds) and doesn't have much experience running routes from the perimeter. While there's always some chance the Steelers create a unique role in their offense for Heidenreich, the more likely reality for a seventh-round pick (230th overall) is that he'll need to show value on special teams and/or as the backup for a more conventional role (e.g., third-down back, slot receiver).

Daequan Hardy

CB

Hardy is now set to remain with the Steelers despite having previously been waived with an injury designation. As the 24-year-old will be forced to miss the entirety of the upcoming campaign, he will now shift his focus to getting healthy for the 2027 season.

Jaheim Bell

TE

The tight end spent time on the practice squads of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in 2025, though he never appeared in a regular-season game. Bell was a seventh-round pick of the Patriots in 2024, catching two passes (on three targets) for 20 yards as a rookie.

Chamon Metayer

TE

Metayer appeared in 43 college games, playing at Cincinnati for two seasons before transferring to Arizona State to finish his collegiate career with the Sun Devils. The tight end caught 94 passes for 971 yards and 14 touchdowns over the four-year span. Metayer will spend training camp competing with Riley Nowakowski, J.J. Galbreath and Lake McRee for the chance to start the season providing special teams and offensive depth value behind starters Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington.

Laith Marjan

PK

Marjan ended his college career at Kansas, making 14 of 17 field goals (including a career-long attempt of 55 yards) and converting all 40 of his extra-point tries. Current Steelers kicker Chris Boswell suffered some inconsistencies near the end of the 2025 season, so Marjan is likely a training camp addition to help Boswell tighten up his game with some competition. Boswell is well regarded as one of the league's most productive kickers, so it likely would take a collapse by him and a stellar showing by Marjan to change any positions on the depth chart by September.

Brandon Johnson

WR

Johnson bounced around several practice squads last year without suiting up for a regular-season game. The wide receiver ended on the Broncos' unit, but he'll make a return to the Steelers ahead of training camp. A cousin of legendary former Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, Johnson will fight for a roster spot as a part of the receiving corps led by DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman.

Robert Spears-Jennings

S

It's not often that you see multi-year starting safeties with 4.32 speed fall to the seventh round, but for Spears-Jennings (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) that's exactly what happened after starting at Oklahoma the last two years. Spears-Jennings is a fearless and explosive safety but one whose otherwise uncommon athleticism has proven difficult to harness effectively. Despite his speed, it was challenging for Spears-Jennings to maintain his coverage assignments, and in pursuit he's liable to misfire. The positive news is that even if he never improves at all, Spears-Jennings should be a capable special-teams contributor.

Riley Nowakowski

TE

Nowakowski (6-foot-2, 250 pounds) was a standout tight end at Indiana and before that Wisconsin, and with this selection the Steelers might have picked Nowakowski to be their replacement for Connor Heyward, who left for the Raiders in free agency. Nowakowski looks more like a fullback than a tight end, and if he's replacing Heyward then the Steelers might have concluded the same thing.

Kaden Wetjen

WR

Wetjen (5-foot-9, 193 pounds) will have his arrival in Pittsburgh's wide receiver corps overshadowed by rookie second-round pick Germie Bernard, which is reasonable given the former's undersized frame and lack of top-end speed (4.47 40-yard dash). While Wetjen could provide competition for depth wideouts Ben Skowronek and A.T. Perry this offseason, his best odds of contributing as a rookie will be in the return game, as he led the FBS with an average of 26.8 yards per punt return in his 2025 season at Iowa, returning three punts (as well as one kickoff) for a touchdown. It will be a surprise if Wetjen doesn't challenge Donte Kent (ankle) for the top punt returner gig immediately.

Gennings Dunker

G

The mulleted wonder from Iowa stays in gold and black now that he's headed to Pittsburgh, where Dunker is expected to eventually emerge as a quality starting guard. Dunker (6-foot-5, 319 pounds) played tackle at Iowa but might be undersized for the position, whereas at guard Dunker's traits grade very well. With a 5.18-second 40 and 108-inch broad jump, Dunker has above-average athleticism to work with on a solid frame by guard standards.

Daylen Everette

CB

Everette (6-foot-1, 196 pounds) put together quality tape as a three-year starter for Georgia and did additional favors to his draft stock at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he logged a 4.38-second 40-yard dash time. Pittsburgh is well-stocked at cornerback, with Joey Porter having been joined by Jamel Dean in free agency, and Asante Samuel re-signing as a capable depth option. While Everette could have difficulty earning a consistent role early in his NFL career, he also may receive the luxury of a developmental window to realize the upside provided by his speed and frame.

Germie Bernard

WR

Bernard spent the last two seasons of his four-year college career at Alabama, where he operated mostly as the team's Z receiver and finished the 2025 campaign with 64 catches for 862 yards and seven touchdowns across 14 games. He posted the fastest three-cone time at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine (6.71 seconds), and he has the overall athleticism and skill set that should allow him to serve as an immediate contributor for the Steelers, whether it's Aaron Rodgers or another quarterback throwing passes to him. Bernard figures to slide in as the team's WR3 behind veterans DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman and ahead of 2024 third-rounder Roman Wilson.

Max Iheanachor

OT

Iheanachor (6-foot-6, 321 pounds) is light on experience but extremely athletic, boasting a 4.91-second 40 (96th percentile among offensive tackles, according to Mockdraftable) even at a dense build. It's not clear how concerning the medical reports have been on incumbent left tackle Broderick Jones (neck), but it's possible that the Steelers will consider Iheanachor at left guard if he doesn't claim the starting left tackle role.

Travis Homer

RB

In 10 regular-season games with the Bears in 2025, Homer recorded just one carry and three catches, and with the Steelers he'll remain in a depth role in a backfield that also includes Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle and Kaleb Johnson. Additionally, Homer could emerge as a core special teamer for Pittsburgh, with Mike DeFabo of The Athletic noting that the 5-foot-10, 211-pounder -- who joined the league as a sixth-round pick by Seattle in 2019 -- is a potential kick-return option for his new team.