Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced the release of 11 players on Friday after their preseason finale win over the Carolina Panthers.
The following players were released:
RB: Evan Hull
LB: Kenny Willekes
CB: Kyler McMichael
CB: Kam Alexander
CB: Mikey Victor
S: Quindell Johnson
LS: Jake McQuaide
QB Logan Woodside
OT: Julian Pearl
OG: Doug Nester
TE: Kevin Foelsch
This comes ahead of the August 26th deadline, when NFL teams are required to cut their rosters down to 53 players.
Perhaps the most intriguing cut on this list is long snapper Jake McQuaide. Current long snapper Christian Kuntz broke his sternum during the team’s second preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the cutting of McQuaide could mean that Pittsburgh is confident Kuntz will be available for the start of the regular season.
Evan Hull’s release keeps Trey Sermon and Lew Nichols’ roster hopes alive, and both have a strong chance to remain with the team on the practice squad.
Three cornerbacks being released is not a surprise, as the Steelers prioritized adding to that room this offseason. More cuts from that position group could be in order by the time it is all set and done on Tuesday.
These moves bring the Steelers roster down to 80 players, meaning the team will have to make at least 27 more tough decisions by Tuesday’s deadline.
