The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering one of the most important stretches of the preseason, and roster decisions along the offensive line could become particularly difficult. With competition intensifying and teams around the NFL searching for reliable depth, Steelers.com writer Bob Labriola has highlighted a familiar concern: a promising offensive lineman could become vulnerable to a waiver claim if Pittsburgh decides it cannot keep him on the initial roster.
The Steelers currently have a deep group competing for jobs up front. Their 2026 offensive-line group includes Spencer Anderson, Dylan Cook, Greg Crippen, Jack Driscoll, Gennings Dunker, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, Brock Hoffman, Max Iheanachor, Broderick Jones, Steven Jones, Ryan McCollum, Mason McCormick, Doug Nester and Lorenzo Thompson.
That depth is encouraging, but it also creates a numbers problem. NFL teams eventually have to reduce their rosters, meaning some players who have performed well during training camp can still find themselves exposed to the waiver process.
For Pittsburgh, that is an especially important consideration because offensive-line depth can disappear quickly once injuries begin piling up. The Steelers have historically understood the value of keeping versatile linemen capable of filling multiple positions. Labriola has previously emphasized how important those backup roles can be, noting that offensive-line depth is an issue for virtually every NFL team.
The current Steelers group also contains several players with legitimate developmental upside. First-round pick Max Iheanachor is expected to be part of the team’s long-term plans, while young players such as Gennings Dunker, Doug Nester and Steven Jones are competing for opportunities. Iheanachor was selected 21st overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, giving Pittsburgh another significant young investment along the line.
The concern is that Pittsburgh may have to make a difficult choice between keeping a player on its 53-man roster and attempting to get that player onto the practice squad. That strategy carries risk because other teams are constantly looking for offensive linemen.
A player released by Pittsburgh does not necessarily become available to the Steelers again. If he is subject to waivers and another team submits a claim, he can be awarded to that club instead. Labriola has previously explained that players with fewer than four accrued NFL seasons generally go through waivers when released, giving other teams an opportunity to claim them.
That makes roster construction particularly delicate for Steelers general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin. The team cannot simply assume that every young lineman it likes will clear waivers.
Pittsburgh’s offensive line is already viewed as a work in progress entering the 2026 season. The team hired veteran offensive-line coach James Campen, who brings extensive NFL experience after spending 15 seasons with Green Bay.
The Steelers therefore have every reason to protect valuable depth. Losing a young lineman through waivers could become a frustrating outcome if injuries later expose a weakness on the roster.
Ultimately, Labriola’s warning underscores one of the toughest realities of NFL roster building: there are more players worth keeping than available roster spots. The Steelers may have to make a difficult decision on their offensive line, and whichever player becomes expendable could quickly attract interest from another team.
For Pittsburgh, the challenge will be identifying which linemen are simply good enough to keep—and which are too valuable to risk exposing to the waiver wire.
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