Pittsburgh Steelers training camp 2026 begins in less than three weeks, and for western Pennsylvania, seeing the players return to Saint Vincent College is a sign that football is back. There will be plenty of opportunities for players to prove themselves, but roster casualties will occur throughout the preseason.
Here are three players who are cut candidates to watch before the regular season kicks off against the Atlanta Falcons.
Steelers Training Camp 2026: 3 Cut Candidates to Watch
Roman Wilson
Roman Wilson is entering Year 3 with the Steelers and has just 13 games to show for himself so far. The former Michigan Wolverines receiver didn’t exactly stand out last year for Pittsburgh, as he and Aaron Rodgers were never on the same page. By the end of the season, Wilson was benched in favor of veterans such as Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo doesn’t expect the relationship to change much ahead of Steelers training camp 2026.
“Who are the options? I mean, it wasn’t good with Roman Wilson,” Fittipaldo told Joe Starkey on 93.7 The Fan on Friday. “Unless they (Rodgers and Wilson) all of a sudden get on the same page, I don’t see that being like, totally different.”
Not being on the same page with any quarterback, but particularly a future Hall of Fame quarterback, is never a good sign. The Steelers drafted rookie receivers Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen in April, so both of them will be pushing for offensive roles. Add in veteran Ben Skowronek and Swiss army knife Eli Heidenreich, and a poor showing could be the end of Wilson’s time in Pittsburgh.
Cole Holcomb
Cole Holcomb signed a two-year extension worth $5 million with Pittsburgh in the offseason, but Spotrac reports only $625,000 is guaranteed. Having so little guaranteed money is a sign that the organization doesn’t have the greatest faith in Holcomb to stay healthy ahead of Steelers training camp 2026. Holcomb missed the entire 2024 season due to injury, and he did not play in three games last season.
Inside linebacker is a position where the Steelers have a lot of depth, with Malik Harrison and Carson Bruener lurking behind the starters, Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson. Breuner played in every game last year, primarily on special teams, but Harrison also appeared in 11 contests and made 41 tackles. Holcomb will have every chance to prove himself in Steelers training camp 2026, so he certainly won’t be able to coast through the preseason with a new coaching staff in town.
Mason Rudolph
Mason Rudolph may be one of the most obvious cut candidates on the Steelers roster with training camp just a few weeks away. It’s very unlikely Pittsburgh keeps four quarterbacks, so Rudolph could be the odd man out in a quarterback room with two young quarterbacks.
Head coach Mike McCarthy has liked what he has seen from former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, and Howard likely has the inside track to be the backup behind Rodgers. This now shifts the pressure onto Rudolph to step up and show the organization that his years of experience in the NFL have paid off and will help the Steelers this season if Rodgers gets hurt.
Ahead of Steelers training camp 2026, this is a situation Rudolph is familiar with throughout his career, and it won’t be the first time his roster spot in Pittsburgh is far from a guarantee. The seven-year veteran will need to be at his best throughout the preseason if he wants to be a part of the 53-man roster.
Main Photo Courtesy of Charles LeClaire – Imagn Images
