Roster cuts, roster cuts, and more roster cuts await the Pittsburgh Steelers — and that unfortunately may include one fan-favorite rookie ahead of Sunday's 53-man roster deadline.
When it comes to the Steelers' running back room led by Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, seventh-round rookie and Pittsburgh native Eli Heidenreich may find himself as the odd man out.
If 2025 third-round running back Kaleb Johnson maintains his spot as RB3, Heidenreich's future immediately begins to look grim. The Steelers may not bring four running backs onto their 53-man roster, and if they do, Travis Homer and Lew Nichols may have the advantage over Heidenreich thanks to their special teams versatility.
What would make the potential roster cut even more disheartening
is that Heidenreich, who was drafted by the Steelers with the 230th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, set impressive records at Navy thanks to his wide receiver-running back versatility. And it's this pass-catching ability, as well as his elite athleticism, that resulted in Heidenreich being compared to Christian McCaffrey.
Here's to hoping the Steelers find a way to include Heidenreich on their 53-man roster, but a practice squad role may be more realistic at this stage in his career, especially when considering what the future may hold for the Steelers' quarterback room.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Will Steelers release fan-favorite rookie? What fans should know before final roster cuts
