The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ 53-man roster is an anomaly. Despite seeing their team and franchise quarterback deteriorate before their eyes over the past few seasons, Mike Tomlin heads into his 17th season as the head coach without posting a losing season.
Pittsburgh Steelers 53-man roster projection
Starters will be annotated with an asterisk.
Pittsburgh Steelers offense (25)
Quarterback:
Mitchell Trubisky*
Kenny Pickett
Mason Rudolph
Running back:
Najee Harris*
Benny Snell
Anthony McFarland
Fullback:
Derek Watt
Wide receiver:
George Pickens*
Chase Claypool*
Diontae Johnson*
Calvin Austin III
Gunner Olszewski
Miles Boykin
Tight end:
Pat Freiermuth*
Zach Gentry
Connor Heyward
Offensive tackle:
Dan Moore Jr.*
Chukwuma Okorafor*
Joe Haeg
Offensive guard:
Kevin Dotson*
James Daniels*
Kendrick Green
John Leglue
Center:
Mason Cole*
J.C. Hassenauer
Pittsburgh Steelers defense (25)
Defensive end:
Larry Ogunjobi*
DeMarvin Leal
Chris Wormley
Defensive tackle:
Cam Heyward*
Tyson Alualu*
Isaiahh Loudermilk
Montravius Adams
Outside linebacker:
T.J. Watt*
Alex Highsmith*
Genard Avery
Derreck Tuszka
Linebacker:
Devin Bush*
Myles Jack*
Marcus AllenRobert Spillane
Cornerback:
Ahkello Witherspoon*
Levi Wallace*
Cam Sutton*
Tre Norwood
Justin Layne
Arthur Maulet
Safety:
Minkah Fitzpatrick*
Terrell Edmunds*
Damontae Kazee
Miles Killebrew
Pittsburgh Steelers specialists (3)
Chris Boswell (K)
Pressley Harvin III (P)
Christian Kuntz (LS)
There aren’t any franchises as culturally sound as Pittsburgh has been over the entirety of its existence. They’ve had the same number of coaches since 1969 as the Houston Texans since 2020. They’ve won 61.4% of their games since 1970, which is the best mark in the NFL over that time.
The Steelers’ 53-man roster has obvious holes. While 2022 might be Tomlin’s first losing season, his message is still obviously resonating with his players. He’s also only 50 years old, so he could be around for another 17 seasons if Kenny Pickett ends up being a franchise QB.
The offensive line is still underwhelming, although the addition of James Daniels was one of the most underrated free agent signings during the offseason. Cam Heyward is a superstar, and Minkah Fitzpatrick can be, but the linebackers must improve their play in 2022.