While this weekend’s draft will add a collection of new faces to the Pittsburgh Steelers roster, the team got a jump on that earlier in the offseason with their busiest free agency ever, using their new-found cap space to sign a slew of veteran players.
Now, we know the jersey numbers those players will wear. As updated on the Steelers’ team website, here are the new uniforms handed out.
WR Miles Boykin – #13
CB Levi Wallace – #29
LB Genard Avery – #49
LB Myles Jack – #51
OL Mason Cole – #61
OL James Daniels – #78
WR Gunner Olszewski – #89
Wallace and Daniels’ numbers were already known but the rest hadn’t been publicly announced. Daniels will go back to wearing the number he sported at Iowa. Wallace had been wearing #39, but that’s occupied by Minkah Fitzpatrick, so he’ll move down ten spots to #29. Boykin wore #81 in college and #80 in Baltimore, but will switch into the teens. No player is retaining the number they wore last year with their former team. Now, you’ll know who to look for at training camp, which will be held at St. Vincent College for the first time since the pandemic.
Elsewhere on the roster, veteran OLB John Simon will wear #96, a major improvement after being stuck with an ugly-looking #38 as a 2021 late-season add.
There’s no official word on what jersey number first round pick Kenny Pickett will wear. He held #8 in college with the Panthers, a number currently taken by safety Karl Joseph, who switched from #30 to #8. Pickett may have to convince Joseph to switch again. Pickett wore #2 in high school, a slot currently occupied by fellow QB Mason Rudolph. Of the quarterback numbers available, there’s #3, #5, #14, and #19. Numbers seven and twelve are also technically available, but belong to Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw, and will never be worn again.
Update (4:38 PM): Pickett will wear #8 for the Steelers. Joseph will now wear #38.
h/t @601SteelerFan
