With the Pittsburgh Steelers needing to trim their roster from 90 players down to 53 on August 29, there will be more than a few guys who suit up for the Black and Gold tonight who won’t end up making the roster. But there are guys fighting for jobs on the periphery of the roster who can state their case with a big night tonight. Here are five players on the bubble who could improve their standing against Tampa Bay.
OLB Quincy Roche
Roche was originally a Steelers draft pick, selected in the sixth-round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Miami (Fla.). He didn’t make the initial 53, getting beaten out by Jamir Jones (who then was released for Derrek Tuszka), but he has NFL experience with the New York Giants, playing in 17 games with three starts for the Big Blue. He’s someone I liked a lot in his first stint in Pittsburgh, but he’s buried a little bit on the outside linebacker depth chart with Markus Golden and Nick Herbig looking like the primary backups.
While it’s unlikely the team carries five outside linebackers, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. If Herbig’s hip injury sidelines him tonight, Roche will have a big opportunity to prove his worth in a setting he knows well. He hasn’t gotten a ton of buzz during training camp, but he’s someone I’m really looking forward to watching tonight in whatever role he may have.
OL Kendrick Green
Green was the easiest player to put on this list for obvious reasons. Coming into camp, it looked like an uphill battle for him to make the 53 as the backup center, given his prior struggles at the position in 2021. But he’s shown off his versatility with reps at fullback, and if he shows that it can be a legitimate use for him in a game tonight, his chances of making the roster are going to increase.
While Nate Herbig is looking like the guy who could serve as the primary backup at all three interior line spots, Green being able to expand his role will help him in his bid to secure a roster spot tremendously.
But the biggest thing for him is still going to be how he looks at center. While playing fullback is a good story, he’s likely not going to get consistent reps there during the regular season. If he can’t show that he’s improved as a center from his rookie season, he won’t have much of a shot of making the roster, especially with Ryan McCollum also competing for a center job.
S Kenny Robinson
Robinson was signed to a Reserves/Future contract by Pittsburgh after the 2022 season, a year he spent much of on the Carolina Panthers practice squad. Robinson was released by Carolina last preseason after a string of ejections during joint practices with the New England Patriots, but he’s shown to be a ballhawk with three interceptions during training camp thus far.
Tre Norwood may not suit up tonight with an injury, and that would open the door for Robinson to prove his worth and potentially get a leg up on Norwood for a roster spot. He’s a guy Minkah Fitzpatrick said he was looking forward to seeing against Tampa Bay, and if Robinson can provide the same sort of splash against the Buccaneers as he has in camp, he’ll become a legitimate candidate to make the roster as a backup safety.
OL Spencer Anderson
Anderson was a seventh-round pick by Pittsburgh in the 2023 NFL Draft and his versatility across the offensive line was one of his biggest strengths. But he’s primarily gotten work at both tackle spots, and he’s likely to line up at one of those for most of his reps tonight.
Anderson hasn’t stood out in a good or bad way during camp, and his most likely path is a practice squad spot given Pittsburgh’s offensive line depth. But if Anderson shows that he’s an NFL-caliber guy, the Steelers may not want to risk losing him to another team with more of an offensive line need and stash him on the 53.
Multiple good performances in the preseason are going to be needed to help Anderson secure a roster spot. A good game tonight will certainly help put him in consideration for the Steelers’ last offensive line spot.
ILB Nick Kwiatkoski
Kwiatkoski was a late addition to Pittsburgh’s roster, signing with the team in June as it revamped the inside linebacker room. While he looked to have a solid shot to make the roster as a special teamer, the addition of Kwon Alexander means Kwiatkoski is in a fight with Tanner Muse for the final spot in the inside linebacker room, which will primarily be on special teams.
That’s where Kwiatkoski has to show he can perform. It’ll help if he can make some plays on defense, but his role during the regular season will be pretty exclusively on special teams, so he’s going to have to prove he can make an impact in that facet of the game. He’s done it before, playing 69 percent of the special teams snap counts while he was with the Raiders in 2021 and 74 percent in 12 games with the Falcons last season, so it’s an area where he’s comfortable.
But Muse is too, so Kwitakoski is going to have to do something to prove the team should keep him over the younger, more athletic Muse. While he might not get a lot of attention on the broadcast, he’s a player Steelers fans should keep a close eye on tonight.
