Last week, we noted four young Pittsburgh Steelers who must impress the new coaching staff immediately. But it\u2019s not just the kids who have to show out. With a clean slate across the board, some veterans must prove they\u2019re worth keeping around on the 2026 roster.<\/p>\n
Below are three veterans who might feel more nervous about their standing under the Mike McCarthy regime. This list excludes veterans we\u2019ve discussed as cap casualties:<\/a> S Jalen Ramsey, TE Jonnu Smith, ILB Patrick Queen, and ILB Malik Harrison. Those names are well-known. Here are three who could feel the squeeze come August\u2019s cutdowns, not March.<\/p>\n 1. QB Mason Rudolph<\/p>\n Odds seem better-than-not for an Aaron Rodgers return. Publicly, McCarthy praised Howard as his next developmental project. With 12 picks, Pittsburgh could still add a name in the draft.<\/p>\n Where does that leave Mason Rudolph? Potentially on the outside.<\/p>\n During a Friday interview, McCarthy discussed the Steelers\u2019 quarterback room. He offered an update on Rodgers and continued touting Howard. Not once did he bring up Rudolph\u2019s name. In fact, of all the major interviews McCarthy\u2019s given since being hired, only once has he mentioned Rudolph\u2019s name, sharing it after Will Howard\u2019s during his introductory presser.<\/a><\/p>\n In fairness, most questions lobbed McCarthy\u2019s way have been about Rodgers or Howard, but that absence is still notable.<\/p>\n Should Rodgers run it back and the team draft, say, LSU\u2019s Garrett Nussmeier in the third round, or if the Steelers fall head-over-heels for Alabama\u2019s Ty Simpson, Rudolph\u2019s path to the roster will seriously shrink. Pittsburgh usually keeps three quarterbacks, not four, on its 53-man roster. Mike Tomlin and Mason Rudolph were close, and Tomlin was a key reason why Rudolph returned to the Steelers last year. Rudolph might not get the same warm feeling from McCarthy.<\/p>\n 2. WR Ben Skowronek<\/p>\n In 2025, Skowronek was a stellar special-teamer and earned a Pro Bowl nod for it. But guys in his position naturally live near the roster bubble. For a Pittsburgh team expected to overhaul its receivers, Skowronek could feel the heat.<\/p>\n Assume Pittsburgh signs a starting-caliber receiver in free agency and drafts two in April. Even assume WR Calvin Austin III walks.\u00a0 That creates a depth chart of:<\/p>\n \u2013 DK Metcalf That potentially leaves two spots for the rest. This group includes Roman Wilson, 2025 training camp darling Max Hurleman<\/a>, and anyone else in the mix (UDFAs, low-level FA additions, a possible Marquez Valdes-Scantling return).<\/p>\n Skowronek\u2019s beefy special teams value helps him stand out from the rest. But Pittsburgh valued the \u201ccore\u201d special-teamer more than any other team, a fact Aaron Rodgers once noticed during a meeting with the media. Look at past Dallas Cowboys<\/a> and Green Bay Packers<\/a> roster constructions, and you won\u2019t find as many coverage\/special teamers like the role Skowronek occupies. If anything, McCarthy is more willing to use that last spot on a return specialist, something Pittsburgh desperately needs.<\/p>\n That could bump a player like Skowronek off the roster in a late-August decision.<\/p>\n 3. SS DeShon Elliott<\/p>\n Not someone I expected to put on the list until I sat and thought about it. Elliott is a quality safety who had a gem of a 2024 season. However, his 2025 campaign was largely lost to injuries.<\/p>\n Coming off a severe knee injury that cost him the last half of 2025 and creeping up on 30 years old, he\u2019ll be 29 in April. Is his spot cement-solid? There\u2019s no goodwill from McCarthy that Elliott would\u2019ve enjoyed had Mike Tomlin returned.<\/p>\n Pittsburgh is likely to draft a safety, and if the Steelers decide to revamp the secondary to focus on speed and youth, Elliott might be looking over his shoulder. It\u2019s still hard to believe he\u2019ll be outright cut come August, but he\u2019ll need to prove himself again to McCarthy and new DC Patrick Graham. All while holding off whichever new faces are brought in.<\/p>\n
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