The Steelers have turned their roster over considerably this offseason, with some position rooms experiencing more upheaval than others. As we prepare for training camp, we’ll look back on the prominent faces no longer in Pittsburgh. For the sake of brevity, we’ll review them in groups, each headed by one of the bigger names.
QB Russell Wilson:
The Steelers signed Russell Wilson last offseason, hoping to capture lightning in a bottle. For a little while, at least, it almost appeared as though they succeeded. By season’s end, however, they had made like the Chinua Achebe novel: things fell apart.
Ultimately, Russell Wilson won six games for the Steelers and lost six. He played a key role in their losing the final four games of the regular season and then in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. While he showed that he still can throw a deep ball, Wilson made some very untimely blunders.
This offseason, the Steelers had every opportunity to re-sign Wilson, but they clearly had little to no interest. All the while, they set their sights on Aaron Rodgers, at least once other options faded away. Wilson is now with the Giants, and Pittsburgh, once again, has a completely turned-over quarterback room.
QB Kyle Allen:
That includes Kyle Allen, who spent one season with the Steelers as their third-string quarterback. Granted, he actually spent almost half the season as the backup, first due to Russell Wilson’s injury and then Justin Fields’. But he played all of two snaps, throwing one pass. He did complete it, at least, for 19 yards and a first down.
It doesn’t appear the Steelers showed any interest in re-signing Allen, who is now with the Detroit Lions. Pittsburgh, instead, signed Skylar Thompson, then brought back Mason Rudolph. After drafting Will Howard in the sixth round, they finally signed Rodgers just in time for minicamp.
While Allen is an experienced NFL backup, one has to assume the Steelers are more intrigued by having Will Howard as their third-string quarterback. They obviously feel better about Rodgers than Wilson, though I imagine they would take Fields over Rudolph as their backup. At least in Rudolph, though, the Steelers know what they are getting at a bare minimum.
CB C.J. Henderson:
A former top-10 draft pick, CB C.J. Henderson is already well into the “bust” stage of his career. Entering the league in 2020, by 2025, he isn’t even under contract. The Steelers had him on their practice squad, and briefly on their 53-man roster last year, but not for long. He spent much of the season from mid-November onward on the Reserve/Injured List.
In terms of attributes, Henderson fits what the Steelers look for at cornerback. Although he finished the year on IR, there is no indication it is an injury preventing him from signing a contract now. The reality is he hasn’t played in a meaningful game since 2023. Could his next stop be in the UFL? Others in his shoes have opted for that path. If even the Steelers aren’t coming calling, he may want to start making alternative arrangements.
