Skip to main content
Join Now

Pittsburgh Steelers release initial 53-man roster after roster cuts

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones08/26/25brianjones_93
On3 image
USA Today

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released their initial 53-man roster ahead of the start of the 2025 NFL season. The team made a series of roster moves on Monday cut the roster to 53 players before the 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Pittsburgh will start the regular season with four quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers will be the team’s starting QB, and he will be joined by Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and rookie Will Howard. Rodgers signed with the team during the offseason, and Howard was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round of this year’s draft.

Kenneth Gainwell, Kaleb Johnson and Jaylen Warren are the Steelers’ running backs. Warren is the starting RB after playing behind Najee Harris for the last few seasons. The rest of the offense includes five wide receivers, three tight ends, nine offensive linemen and Connor Heyward, who is listed as a tight end/fullback.

Heyward’s brother, Cameron Heyward, anchors the Steelers’ defensive line, which also includes rookie Derrick Harmon and six others. The Steelers will also have nine linebackers, led by T.J. Watt, who signed a monster contract extension during the offseason.

More on the Steelers’ 53-man roster

Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr. lead the defensive backs. Ramsey is listed as the starting nickelback, and Porter is a starting cornerback. Darius Slay is listed as the other starting cornerback.

The Steelers specialists to start the 2025 season will be kicker Chris Boswell, punter Corliss Waitman and long snapper Christian Kuntz. Gainwell is listed as the No. 1 kick returner, and starting wide receiver Calvin Austin III will be the starting punt returner.

With the new additions such as Rodgers, Ramsey and wide receiver DK Metcalf, the Steelers are looking to go on a run and win their first Super Bowl since the 2008 season. After winning the Super Bowl, Pittsburgh has played in just one conference championship and Super Bowl, and both came during the 2010 season.

The last time the Steelers won the AFC North was in 2020. They have finished 10-7 the last two seasons, but have lost in the wild-card round of the playoffs both times. But despite the lack of success in the playoffs recently, the Steelers have not had a losing season since 2003, when the team finished 6-10.

We’ll have more on this story shortly.