The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking through the roster to try and figure out exactly which players should make it to the 53-man and which shouldn’t. They likely have some ideas on who will be released after Week 1 of the preseason, but there is still plenty of time to see who deserves to stay on the roster and who should not. However, it seems like the Steelers already have some decisions made, although one of these moves was not by choice, as it seems like their hand was forced.

Aaron Wilson reported that the Steelers made a handful of moves, as they brought in a couple of defensive players, cut one, and then put another one on season-ending injured reserve. A potential dark horse pick for the team’s 53-man roster has been lost to an unfortunate injury.

#Steelers waived Easton Gibbs, signed Marquiss Spencer and Luquay Washington, placed Breiden Fehoko on injured reserve

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 10, 2024

Breiden Fehoko was looking for a spot on the roster, especially after DeMarvin Leal made the move from defensive lineman to outside linebacker. Unfortunately, his season is now officially over. Any player that is placed on Injured Reserve before the roster cutdown day is forced to miss the entire season, and that is a damaging blow to the defensive tackle looking to make an impact on this team.

Fehoko spent his first three years with the Los Angeles Chargers, and he was able to rack up some tackle numbers in limited reps. He signed with the Steelers in 2023, but he remained on their practice squad throughout the season. He never made an appearance in a regular season game, but he re-signed with the team in the 2024 offseason in an attempt to prove that he deserved a chance.

Steelers Make Other Moves

The Steelers signed Marquiss Spencer to replace Fehoko on the 90-man roster. Spencer had also bounced around the NFL, taking jobs on practice squads across the league. He only appeared in  one game in his career , which was in 2021. The team also released linebacker Easton Gibbs and replaced him with Luquay Washington, an undrafted rookie free agent who previously signed with the Kansas City Chiefs after the draft.