The Pittsburgh Steelers began trimming their roster Friday, releasing 11 players one day after wrapping up the preseason with a narrow 28-27 defeat to the Buffalo Bills.
The moves come as the team prepares to meet the NFL’s mandatory 53-man roster limit by 6 p.m. ET Sunday. That deadline is earlier than usual this year to accommodate travel logistics for the league’s Week 1 international game.
Players waived include offensive lineman Greg Crippen, running back Alex Tecza, wide receivers Jakobie Keeney-James, Cornell Powell and Isaiah Winstead, defensive backs Jaylon Guilbeau, Jack Henderson, Brandon Hill, Tamon Lynum and Daryl Porter, and tight end Jaheim Bell.
Crippen arrived as an undrafted free agent from Michigan. Tecza had been with the team only since Monday, making his stay one of the shortest of the summer.
Bell, a seventh-round pick by the New England Patriots in 2024, is entering his third NFL season. He has also spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and previously appeared on the Steelers’ practice squad. In his rookie year he played 15 games and recorded two receptions for 20 yards.
Several of the other cuts were recent additions. Guilbeau and Hill joined earlier this week. Keeney-James signed in early August after a stint with the Green Bay Packers last season.
Powell and Winstead arrived in mid-August. Henderson had been on the Steelers’ practice squad last October before a brief stop with the Miami Dolphins and a return this winter. Lynum signed as an undrafted free agent in May, while Porter joined in early August.
The Steelers still face difficult decisions before Sunday’s deadline. One of the most notable involves the quarterback position, where the team appears prepared to keep four players: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar.
Most NFL clubs carry only two or three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Keeping four would limit spots available at other positions.
Head coach Mike McCarthy addressed the situation after Thursday’s game.
“I feel good about the quarterback room,” McCarthy said. “I’ve been saying it for quite some time, and they’ve shown it on the field. We got two veterans that we can win with, and we got two young guys that we’re excited about the future.”
Rodgers and Allar are expected to remain on the roster all season. Howard’s status could shift if concussion evaluations from the Bills game lead to an injured-reserve placement, which would open a temporary roster spot while preserving the option to return later.
Howard finished the preseason completing 26 of 39 passes for 229 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Allar went 30 of 54 for 351 yards and two scores with no interceptions.
The early cuts focused heavily on the secondary and receiver groups, clearing five defensive backs and three wideouts. That leaves clearer paths for remaining roster hopefuls while the coaching staff finalizes the bottom of the depth chart.
Pittsburgh opens the regular season at home against the Atlanta Falcons in two weeks. The next 48 hours will determine which of the remaining players stick around for that opener and which will look for opportunities elsewhere, whether on the waiver wire, practice squads or with other clubs.
Additional cuts are expected before the deadline as the Steelers continue shaping a roster built around veteran leadership at quarterback and a mix of youth and experience elsewhere.
