Steel City Blitz
The Pittsburgh Steelers finish their 2025 Preseason slate this evening in Carolina against the Panthers. While most of the spots on this roster are set, there are still guys not only hoping to make the roster, but also guys hoping to increase their value to other teams. Here’s a quick look at who and what we’re watching for tonight.
Your top three are set. Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson are secure but will they add a fourth running back? If you want to talk most impressive from purely a preseason game standpoint then Lew Nichols has been the best. He runs with aggression and has a nice burst to go with the power. Trey Sermon hasn’t collected the stats that Nichols has but his experience and value as a multi-faceted back make his choice appealing.
Max Hurleman came to the Steelers as a running back and while he’s lined up in the backfield on several occasions, his biggest impact has been catching the ball. My guess is that he will get some carries tonight in an attempt to see what he does with those opportunities. If they do go with four, I think Nichols has the inside track but… Your fourth running back HAS to be a part of Special Teams too and that could tip things in Hurleman’s favor.
Look, precedent suggests that no matter what Thompson does tonight the Steelers will still go with Will Howard as their third quarterback. Why? Simply because they invested a draft pick. Ian made the argument last night on the SCB Steelers Podcast that Tomlin could perhaps roster four QBs. If Thompson puts together another solid night then ‘QB Needy’ teams across the league will notice. And they might be willing to give up a late round pick to get him.
In my mind, Thompson is more than deserving of being the third guy. He was given an opportunity when Howard broke his finger and he’s taken tremendous advantage of that. Making the club when you’re “in the tub” used to be difficult but not anymore. Howard is likely the choice regardless of what Thompson does.
Cole Holcomb is going to make this roster. He would be the most stunning omission should he not. Whether he’s all the way back from his injury is still in question but finding fault with his effort and overall performance is difficult. Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen are shoo-ins so that leaves Mark Robinson, Malik Harrison and Carson Bruener to fight it out for the fourth spot. Bruener has done some nice things and he’s solid on Special Teams but he seems destined for the Practice Squad for this year.
Robinson and the former Raven Harrison share similar traits. Both are two-down LBs who are much better against the run than the pass. They are also more known for their prowess on Special Teams than anything they’ve done defensively. Ultimately, you don’t need two...
