3 Pittsburgh Steelers who played their way off the roster in preseason finale and why

The preseason concluded on Saturday for the Pittsburgh Steelers and, lo and behold, Mike Tomlin's club ended up winless in the trio of exhibition contests. But we did see some key developments in the 24-17 loss to the Lions in Detroit.

It was made clear after one drive that Russell Wilson will be the Steelers starting quarterback (though not officially just yet) after a battle -- perhaps in name only -- with another offseason acquisition, Justin Fields. Beyond that, however, we also saw rookie first-rounder Broderick Jones play some of his best football to date, Dez Fitzpatrick made a case for the final roster in a weak receiving corps, and Cordarrelle Patterson provided some fireworks like we always knew he would with Arthur Smith coming to town.

However, it's not all sunshine and roses with cutdown day looming on Tuesday, Aug. 27. Saturday's preseason finale was an opportunity for bottom-of-the-roster players to make their case either to get on the 53-man or even the practice squad. These three players, however, may have written an unfortunate fate for themselves with no path to see the Steelers roster now.

3. Devery Hamilton, OT

While Broderick Jones needed to prove himself a bit in the preseason finale and succeeded, a potential depth piece in Devery Hamilton did not have similar success as he got an opportunity to, most likely, make a case for his spot on the Pittsburgh practice squad.

Dylan Cook, projected as the backup left tackle for now, allowed Hamilton to get valuable reps with the second team against Detroit but it went disastrously. While Justin Fields has been rightly criticized for not helping out his O-line, it was Hamilton who wasn't doing his quarterback any favors in the Motor City. Consistently, he was letting pressure reach Fields off of the edge and the issue was forced from the offense as a result.

Again, his position on the depth chart already indicated that Hamilton had an uphill battle to make the Steelers roster. But seeing him struggle against largely second-teamers showed that he's not ready at all and Pittsburgh might simply be better off cutting bait.

2. La'Mical Perine, RB

I feel like I've been belaboring this point throughout the preseason and training camp alike but it was never more clear that La'Mical Perine doesn't have a spot on the Steelers for the 2024 season than it was on Saturday in the loss.

The former Chiefs running back and Florida Gators standout was always clearly behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in the Pittsburgh backfield, in addition to the aforementioned Patterson being a favorite of the new offensive coordinator. So for him to make a case to be on the roster, he would have to do something special.

He did not.

Perine found the end zone but ultimately averaged only 2.7 yards per carry with 16 yards on six totes. That type of inefficiency has been on display throughout the preseason and, while the line hasn't done him any favors, there are simply and clearly better options in the running back room. He did truly nothing to change that perception in the final act of the preseason.

1. Zyon Gilbert, CB

If there was one position where someone could make serious noise in camp and the preseason to earn a roster spot with the Steelers, it was cornerback. Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson are the clear starters on the outside but the depth was as it has been for a long while: full of questions. So even someone like Zyon Gilbert, who has bounced around practice squads since being a 2022 UDFA with the Giants, had a shot.

After Saturday, though, that shot looks completely gone, even to be a practice squad player. While it might look good in the box score as Gilbert led the Steelers in tackles against the Lions, that was because his man was consistently making catches when he was dropped into coverage. In the simplest terms, Detroit picked on him time and again while the FAU product offered little resistance.

Particularly with Cory Trice Jr. offering arguably his best outing of the preseason as well, it feels like Gilbert is going to be one of the easiest cut decisions on the roster now after having the opportunity to make a case that he should be invested in further.