The Pittsburgh Steelers announced another roster move on April 30, as they chose to release veteran outside linebacker Thomas Rush.
Per Steelers Now beat reporter Alan Saunders, Pittsburgh “just signed Rush in January to a future contract after he spent the past two seasons on the practice squad of the Tennessee Titans.”
Saunders also pointed out that the Steelers used a fourth-round pick on Ohio State outside linebacker Jack Sawyer, making Rush’s presence less necessary.
Rush has never suited up for a regular-season NFL game, although he has logged 6 preseason appearances with the Titans. Before entering the league as an undrafted prospect, the outside linebacker spent five years at Minnesota, with 8.5 sacks and 86 total tackles over 57 career appearances.
This marks the Steelers’ third veteran cut following the 2025 NFL Draft.
Steelers Free Up Roster Spot for More Potential Moves
The Steelers’ 90-man roster is actually pretty full after both the draft and several undrafted signings.
After the Rush cut, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Brian Batko noted that his release gives them four open spots on their offseason roster.
“Usually, one to two make it from rookie minicamp tryouts,” Batko added. “Could be another UDFA or two signed, as well.”
There’s one other way the Steelers could fill Rush’s roster spot, and that’s with an Aaron Rodgers signing or Kirk Cousins trade. Things have been weirdly quiet on Pittsburgh’s QB front since the draft, with National Champion Will Howard joining Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson.
Having said that, Steelers general manager Omar Khan has been adamant that Pittsburgh would like to enter camp with four quarterbacks, which strongly hints that the organization still expects to add another veteran option.
Pittsburgh Is Currently Well-Stocked at OLB
As mentioned above, Rush became expendable after the Sawyer selection.
The Steelers are now very deep at edge rusher entering Organized Team Activities (OTAs), with the rookie joining superstar T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jeremiah Moon, Eku Leota, international prospect Julius Welschof and DL hybrid DeMarvin Leal if needed. That’s a strong group, and Rush will have a better chance of making a 53-man roster elsewhere.
Although there are long-term questions as long as Watt remains without an extension, outside linebacker will once again be a strength of the organization in 2025. And that’s how head coach Mike Tomlin prefers it.
Pittsburgh blitzed the quarterback on 25.9% of dropbacks in 2024, which ranks middle of the pack for the league at 12th overall. Even so, Tomlin likes to flaunt waves of strong rushers off the edge, and a foursome of Watt, Highsmith, Herbig and Sawyer gives him that.
The positional depth also gives the Steelers some insurance in the event that Watt prices himself out of town.
Jack Sawyer Pick Has Nothing to Do With T.J. Watt Contract Talks, Says Steelers Reporter
Speaking of Sawyer and Watt, long-time Steelers beat reporter Mark Kaboly calmed fans on April 30 regarding the belief that the rookie was drafted to replace the future Hall of Famer.
“[The Sawyer pick] has absolutely nothing to do with Watt,” Kaboly told a fan during a mailbag post. “Watt is going to get paid, he has missed 11 games in eight years and routinely plays 80% of the snaps. I don’t care what his brother’s health was like in his 30s. It means nothing.”
“Sawyer at 123 may have been the biggest value of the entire draft,” Kaboly went on to add. “They couldn’t pass that up for anything. It’s nothing more or nothing less than that.”
As of April 30, Watt and the Steelers are still expected to eventually reach an extension.
