Steelers make several expected adjusts to their 53-man roster

It did not take long for the Pittsburgh Steelers to make some changes to their 53-man roster for the 2025 NFL season. After signing 16 players to the practice squad, the Steelers have placed quarterback Will Howard and defensive back Donte Kent on the Reserve/Injured List (IR). In doing so, the Steelers have signed safety Chuck Clark and offensive lineman Max Scharping.

We have signed S Chuck Clark and G Max Scharping to the Active Roster & placed QB Will Howard and CB Donte Kent on the Reserve/Injured List. @BordasLawhttps://t.co/rQeVtyi6y9

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 28, 2025

When the Steelers initially released their 53-man roster on Tuesday, there were some curious moves between players who were kept and some who were released. The Steelers had four quarterbacks on their roster while also keep a seventh-round draft pick in their defensive backfield who did not play a single snap in the preseason and is still unable to take the practice field. Unsurprisingly, the Steelers moved both these players, quarterback Will Howard and defensive back Donte Kent, to IR.

So why didn’t the Steelers do this with one of the players on Tuesday as they still had one of their two spots left to put a player directly on IR and still be eligible to return? The most likely scenario is the fact that the spot that could have been used on Tuesday definitely counts as one of the eight spots where a player can return from IR during the season. By putting these players on IR a day after they were on the 53-man roster, they will only count as one of those spots to return if they, in fact, return to the team. The option will be open without counting against the Steelers, so if the player stays on IR all year it did not count as one of the eight spots.

As for the players returning to the 53-man roster, Chuck Clark first signed just after the start of training camp in July. With only three players kept on the 53 at the safety position, although Jalen Ramsey can play there as well as cornerback, it seemed as if a reunion with Clark was going to be on the horizon.

The other player who is back on the Steelers 53-man roster is offensive lineman Max Scharping. This is a bit of a curious move as now the Steelers have 10 offensive linemen on their 53-man roster. With this number, there will likely be two players who are inactive on game day. But looking at the Steelers practice squad where they only have two offensive lineman there, the overall number of players for the team seems to check out.

It was never a question if the Steelers were going to have the same 53 players from their initial roster by the time they took the field in Week 1. With the Steelers first game in New York against the Jets more than a week away, there is still the possibility that there could be even more changes. Whether the roster fluctuates or not, we will continue to have everything covered here at Steel Curtain Network throughout the Steelers entire 2025 season.