The Pittsburgh Steelers made their first major roster move Friday, announcing 11 releases as they began trimming toward the regular-season limit. Yardbarker reported the team cut its roster from 91 to 80 players in the initial wave, with Jaheim Bell among those let go.
Yardbarker identified the group of 11 players released and noted the timing came immediately after Pittsburgh’s preseason finale. The team now faces the NFL’s hard deadline: every club must be down to a 53-man roster by Sunday at 6 p.m.
Jaheim Bell’s release was highlighted in the coverage. Bell, 25, signed a one-year contract with Pittsburgh in May after previously spending time on the Steelers’ practice squad late in the 2025 season. New England released him on Aug. 22, 2025, as part of a 14-player roster reduction under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel. He resurfaced with the Eagles’ practice squad in October for less than a week; the Eagles signed him to a reserve/future contract in January before waiving him in April, and six days later Pittsburgh signed him to the one-year deal that ended with Friday’s release.
Friday’s reductions do not finalize the roster picture. The team has 27 more spots to sort out before the Sunday deadline. Yardbarker reported that the coaching staff used the preseason finale to evaluate younger players under pressure, and that the results left a favorable impression. Yardbarker also relayed the coach’s postgame sentiment, quoting him saying he “felt really good about our body of work that we were able to accomplish, not just the quarterbacks,” an assessment presented as his view of the preseason work.
The moves come with a larger roster design question still unresolved. Yardbarker flagged the lingering debate about whether the Steelers will carry four quarterbacks on the active roster when the regular season begins — a possibility that would affect how remaining spots are allocated.
Pittsburgh opens its regular season in Week 1 against the Falcons. With the roster still in flux, the organization will continue cutting and evaluating through the weekend as it balances veteran additions and developmental pieces while finalizing the 53-man squad.
Bell’s immediate prospects are uncertain. Yahoo! News suggested his age and athletic profile could make him a candidate for a practice-squad opportunity elsewhere once cuts settle, though that outcome remains to be determined as teams finish their rosters.
