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Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders predicted seventh-round rookie Eli Heidenreich to miss the cut for the Pittsburgh Steelers 53-man roster.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a very tough decision to make at quarterback this summer. There appears to be four signal-callers vying for only three roster spots. But the Steelers will have an equally difficult call at running back involving seventh-round rookie Eli Heidenreich.
The new Steelers running back is competing with three established veterans and a 2025 third-round pick for a roster spot.
Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders argued Heidenreich is going to give that group everything it can handle. Ultimately, though, Saunders predicted Heidenreich to not make the cut.
“Eli Heidenreich is another tough cut, and he very well could push someone like Kaleb Johnson or Travis Homer off the roster with his greater versatility and special teams ability than Johnson and greater offensive production than Homer,” wrote Saunders. “He definitely has a chance to win his way onto the roster at camp, and Johnson might have the most to prove of anyone.”
The Steelers picked Heidenreich at No. 230 overall in the final round of the 2026 NFL Draft. A Pittsburgh native, the running back became a fan favorite immediately after the Steelers selected him in front of the home crowd with one of the final selections this spring.
At Navy, Heidenreich posted 3,151 yards from scrimmage and 23 total touchdowns. He averaged 6.8 yards per carry and 18.3 yards per reception in 38 college games.
Steelers Predicted to Cut RB Eli Heidenreich After Preseason
GettyThe Pittsburgh Steelers selected Mt. Lebanon product Eli Heidenreich in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
It’s not super shocking Heidenreich could be cut. Seventh-round choices aren’t guaranteed to make NFL rosters are rookies.
But Heidenreich as a cut candidate is newsworthy because of how much attention the running back received for landing with his hometown team.
The Steelers have a deep running back room, so Heidenreich has a tough road ahead to a roster spot. Whether he makes the roster could depend on what the team prefers for their RB3 or RB4.
Heidenreich will likely offer a lot of versatility as a potential contributor as a runner, pass-catcher and on special teams.
“Versatile and productive, Heidenreich possesses good size and toughness,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “Teams will like the mentality and his special-teams potential, but he might lack the necessary athleticism to uncover on routes or elude tacklers with the ball in his hands.”
Steelers RB Depth Entering Training Camp
GettySteelers Now’s Alan Saunders predicted seventh-round rookie Eli Heidenreich to miss the cut for the Pittsburgh Steelers 53-man roster.
The Steelers lost Kenneth Gainwell in NFL free agency. But the team replaced him with free agency Rico Dowdle. Pundits expect the former Dallas Cowboys running back to work with Jaylen Warren to be Pittsburgh 1-2 running back punch.
Also in NFL free agency, the Steelers added Travis Homer and still have Kaleb Johnson, who they picked in the third round just last year.
Heidenreich’s best bet to make the Steelers roster might be to outperform Johnson. His other possible option, because he was such a pass-catcher in college, might be to earn a roster spot as a receiver. But the Steelers are deeper in that area of their roster too.
As is the case for every seventh-round pick, training camp will be very key for Heidenreich. While he appears to potentially be on the chopping block, the running back should make things very competitive in the running back room.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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