With just one more preseason game on the slate, the Pittsburgh Steelers will close out exhibition play this Thursday against the Buffalo Bills.
Through two games, several notable veterans find themselves on the brink of making the roster or being let go. These five names will be ones to highlight over the next week as potential cuts.
QB Will Howard
Howard is coming off a poor performance against the New York Jets, throwing two interceptions on 10-of-15 passing in his first start. Considering Mike McCarthy gave Mason
Rudolph the night off, his spot on the roster feels all but secured. It’s rare to see a team keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, and McCarthy has never done so. With Howard’s performance, combined with the performance of Drew Allar through two games, as well as where the Steelers drafted him, Howard is certainly first in line to be let go should Pittsburgh opt to release a quarterback.
RB Kaleb Johnson
Johnson was given a far greater workload against the Jets, getting 12 total touches on offense compared to just two in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. The big caveat with Johnson remains his lack of usage on special teams. Will the Steelers keep him over Lew Nichols or Travis Homer, or will they let go of Johnson and opt to keep the other reserve backs? After a lackluster rookie season, his name is certainly one to watch.
WR Roman Wilson
This one may surprise some after the camp Wilson had, but through the first two preseason games, he’s shown the same concerning characteristics that have plagued him through the first two seasons of his career. On the second of Howard’s interceptions, he drifted too far up field, which made it easier for Samuel Womack to pick off the throw. Wilson has popped in camp for two consecutive seasons now. I’d like to see him get extended playing time and show some real pop agains the Bills on Thursday. If he doesn’t, Gabe Davis or Curtis Samuel could be better options to be the WR4 on the depth chart.
OT Broderick Jones
Jones put some rough play on tape against the Jets. He allowed a sack on Howard as David Bailey just plowed through him to get outside leverage. He also allowed a sack on Drew Allar late in the second half. Jones is, of course, coming off a neck injury and went without getting practice reps in during the spring. It was a surprise that he was cleared for the start of training camp. With the injury to Max Iheanachor, the Steelers may want to hold onto Jones for depth purposes, but his play has been less than optimal.
LB Malik Harrison
The writing is on the wall for Harrison. Elandon Roberts played fantastic in his first game back in Pittsburgh, and Carson Bruener has had a strong preseason. The Steelers can save almost $5 million by cutting Harrison, which feels like a forgone conclusion.
Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
- Drew Allar gives brutally honest assessment of his performance vs. Jets
- The Morning After: Steelers WRs rob Drew Allar of big night with costly drops
- Stock report after the Steelers’ 17-0 preseason loss to the New York Jets
- Will Howard struggles, throws two INTs in Steelers’ loss to Jets
- Andy Weidl emphasizes importance of building the trenches
