5 players in Steelers training camp who don’t have a chance to make the final roster

The Pittsburgh Steelers have moved beyond the Kenny Pickett failures and ultimately the debacle of that situation but not without questions coming into the 2024 NFL season. As training camp begins, it's a battle between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields for the starting quarterback job. However, there is so much going on at Steelers camp beyond that, though the QB battle remains a massive storyline to follow.

Beyond that, however, the Brandon Aiyuk trade saga hangs over the Steelers at camp in a massive way. Over the past several months, it's been a will they-won't they, they will-they won't dance between insiders that's been tough to keep up with, frankly. And let's not forget about a secondary the team is looking to reshape, Arthur Smith's arrival to the offense, and a team in one of the best divisions in the NFL trying to both make the playoffs and keep Mike Tomlin's streak of winning seasons alive.

While these might be the big storylines to follow throughout training camp and up until Week 1 of the regular season in September, there is more going on. Eventually, roster cuts will come as the Steelers trim things down to 53 players. And while there will be tough decisions eventually, there are some players currently on Pittsburgh's deep training camp roster who have no chance of making final cuts.

5. Darius Rush will be pushed of Steelers roster by UDFA standout

This is perhaps the boldest inclusion on this list but Darius Rush just seems like he'll ultimately fall victim to the numbers game based on what the Steelers need. Yes, the club will be without Cam Sutton for the first eight games of the season due to a suspension but, despite both being listed at cornerback, that does nothing to help Rush.

With Sutton's absence, Pittsburgh will be trying to fill the void in the slot. As of right now, veteran Grayland Arnold and UDFA signing Beanie Bishop Jr. have staked their claim on that role. But more importantly, Rush doesn't have any experience nor what seems to be any intent of playing in the slot. That limits possibly his best path to making the roster.

Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson figure to be the starters on the outside while Cory Trice Jr. isn't a lock but is likely close to it. But while Bishop could offer some inside-out versatility that could help the Steelers fill out the depth chart, Rush doesn't. That ultimately doesn't give him a path I can see to making the roster and will ultimately end up with the former fifth-round pick looking for the fourth team in his career in just two seasons since leaving South Carolina.

4. Dez Fitzpatrick will not have a place on the Steelers roster

In the event that the Steelers pulled off the Brandon Aiyuk trade, it could potentially push someone like Scotty Miller or even someone like Quez Watkins off of the roster. However, even just looking at the current state of the wide receiver room -- a group that undeniably could use some help -- Dez Fitzpatrick would have to completely wow everyone to land a spot on the final roster.

The former Titans fourth-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft has struggled to find any type of a home or role in the NFL since then. He played in four games with Tennessee as a rookie (five catches on eight targets for 49 yards and a touchdown) but that is his only regular-season action to boast on his resumé to this point.

Pittsburgh obviously has George Pickens at the top of the depth chart but, even if the depth isn't considerable, it either is more proven or has more upside than what Fitzpatrick has deisplayed. Van Jefferson has been productive at times, as have Watkings and Miller. Roman Wilson is a third-round rookie and Calvin Austin III has special teams versatility to add value as well. Fitzpatrick simply doesn't offer that and it will almost surely leave him looking for another team after roster cuts, regardless of what transpires with Aiyuk.

3. Breiden Fehoko doesn't have a path to a Steelers 53-man roster spot

Not to put too fine of a point on it but the fact that Breiden Fehoko was elevated to the active roster in the 2023 season spoke to the lack of Steelers depth along the defensive line more than it did to the LSU product who spent the other half of the season on the practice squad a year ago.

The Steelers have done a solid job improving that depth, though. Logan Lee, a sixth-round pick in this year's draft, can play the nose like Fehoko in a backup role but can move around a bit in the trenches as well. They also brought in Dean Lowry and, though he's on the PUP list currently, he still offers more depth on the front.

Fehoko's limited role as a nose tackle only combined with the limited upside he offers in that role alone don't do him any favors. And as the organization has made a concerted even if quiet effort to improve the versatility and depth up front on defense, it seems like Fehoko being cast aside is a positive indication of that in the long run.

2. La'Mical Perine almost definitely won't be on the Steelers in September

Arthur Smith joining the fray this offseason as the new offensive coordinator ultimately lends itself to thinking that the Steelers are going to be reliant upon the run game, perhaps more so than even before. That was his M.O. in both Tennessee and Atlanta and likely will continue in the Steel City. However, that doesn't at all mean that the club is going to be looking to keep more running backs on the roster.

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are locks as the incumbent 1-2 punch, only made more interesting by the offseason addition of one of Smith's favorite toys, Cordarrelle Patterson. Though the veteran special teams ace is currently injured, he'll likely be the third running back option and gadget piece. And it's hard to see the Steelers keeping someone like La'Mical Perine behind him.

Perine flashed for the Kansas City Chiefs in training camp and the preseason at times a year ago but never totally found his footing. More importantly, though, UDFA signing Daijun Edwards might be a better practice squad option than Perine in the long run, which would ultimately give the Steelers a better long-term plan than keeping Perine around at all.

1. John Rhys Plumlee won't be a Taysom Hill type for the Steelers

Perhaps the most intriguing UDFA signing -- at least before Bishop's emergence in offseason workouts at cornerback -- was former UCF and Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. The dual-threat QB (perhaps with even less of an emphasis on passing than you'd imagine) has a ton of athleticism and tools to work with but is hardly someone who's displayed the ability to be an NFL-caliber signal-caller.

In an ideal world, you could actually imagine Plumlee looking something like the Steelers' version of what the Saints long have used with Taysom Hill. He's a malleable piece with enough versatility and tools to put into specialty packages that could conceivably give opposing defenses fits.

Here's the key, though: He's not that yet. All reports have indicated that Pittsburgh is working to grow his versatility, starting with special teams, but it's hard to see him being ready for that right away. He's the prototype for a practice squad project and, while that could give him a future to look forward to with the Steelers, it's far-fetched to believe he'd be ready for that moment in the 2024 season.