Tuesday at 4pm EST was the deadline for all 32 NFL teams to trim their rosters from 90 to 53, and with that comes some harsh realities for players hoping to keep their dreams of being in the NFL a reality. Nonetheless, not all stories from cut-down day are negative. In fact, some are good.

Let’s talk about the good, bad and ugly from the Pittsburgh Steelers roster cuts…

The Good

2024 Rookie Class

There are some teams who saw their rookie class fall flat, and multiple players who were drafted not make the team. For the Steelers? Not so much. All seven players who were drafted remain within the organization one way or another.

Troy Fautanu – Although hampered by a knee injury, Fautanu will have a large role in the 2024 season if he can stay healthy.

Zach Frazier – Your new starting center.

Roman Wilson – Working his way back from an ankle injury, but looks ready to go in Week 1.

Payton Wilson – Will absolutely have a role on special teams and in sub packages in 2024.

Mason McCormick – With Isaac Seumalo injured, he might be thrust into a starting role faster than anyone expected.

Ryan Watts – After injuring his neck in Detroit, Watts lands on Injured Reserve (IR) but gets a redshirt season.

Logan Lee – Makes the 53-man roster.

Health of Primary Players

Although Seumalo’s injured pectoral throws a wrench in this, the majority of the Steelers stars are healthy and read-to-go for Week 1 in Atlanta.

53-man not set yet

The Steelers have their roster at 53 players, but it doesn’t mean they are done making moves. Of course there is one big move people are expecting, but they can also add players at multiple positions prior to Week 1. Some might see this as not good, but bad, and we’ll get to that soon.

The Bad

Glaring Holes Remain

The Steelers still have glaring holes on their roster, and this is when the 53-man roster not being set can also be viewed as a negative. The fact the organization is still looking for answers has many people concerned about the state of the depth chart heading into the regular season.

Season Over For Many

The news of Nate Herbig, Ryan Watts, and others is never easy. Even though it’s likely the best for the team, not having many of these players available can hinder the progress of the organization moving forward. Throw Cole Holcomb into the mix and you see how serious his knee injury was from last season.

Offensive Line Depth Is Shaky

Seumalo’s injury will test this, but Herbig’s shoulder injury and Fautanu’s knee injury already had the depth on thin ice. Players like Spencer Anderson and Mason McCormick will be called in to play more than anyone anticipated heading into the 2024 regular season.

WR/CB Rooms

There’s no other way to say it, but the depth at these two positions is sketchy, at best. There is no clear-cut slot cornerback on the roster, and there is no genuine WR2 either. Most are waiting to see the Steelers make a trade and/or sign a player, but that has yet to happen. Therefore, these rooms are still struggling.

The Ugly

Players’ Dreams Come To An End

When I was watching the 3rd Preseason game vs. the Detroit Lions I saw someone on Twitter say how many of these players, on both teams, should take some selfies at the end of the game because it might be their last chance to show others one day how they played in the NFL.

The end of the road comes for all of us in one way or another, and for a lot of young men who wanted to fulfill their dream of playing football at the professional level, that dream died on Tuesday. Sure, they might wait for a phone call for a practice squad spot, but for some that call won’t come. Some might get contacted by another league, like the CFL or the UFL, but even then that call might not come. Most will stay in shape and hope for a shot during the season or after the season when Future/Reserve contracts are handed out, but even then it just doesn’t happen.

For some the dream is dead, and that’s always the ugly part of cut-down day.

To hear more about this check out the Wednesday episode of the “Let’s Ride” podcast in the player below, and be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest Steelers news as they prepare for the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.