The Pittsburgh Steelers spent big to add Malik Harrison last offseason. One year later, he might not make the roster.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton named Harrison the one player the Steelers should cut ahead of the 2026 season, pointing to a linebacker room that has quietly gotten crowded around him.
The math on the depth chart is what works against him.
Bleacher Report Names Malik Harrison Steelers’ Top Cut Candidate
Moton laid out a rotation that no longer has an obvious spot for Harrison. Payton Wilson is set for a full-time starting role next to Patrick Queen after leading the team with 126 tackles, six for loss, to go with two pass breakups and an interception last season.
Cole Holcomb remains a reliable two-down run defender, and 2025 rookie Carson Bruener played all 17 games as a core special-teamer. Then came the reunion that tipped the scales.
Elandon Roberts returned to Pittsburgh for a second stint with the team, rejoining defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who coached him with the Las Vegas Raiders last season.
That left Harrison as the extra man. Moton noted the veteran has started 43 of 87 games over six seasons and played 40 percent of the defensive snaps across 11 contests, with nine starts, in 2025.
“With Wilson, Holcomb and Roberts in a rotation at linebacker and Bruener on special teams, Harrison could be the odd man out,” Moton wrote, adding that he “may prefer a shot to play a bigger defensive role elsewhere.”
Why the Elandon Roberts Signing Sealed Malik Harrison’s Fate
The timing tells the story. Harrison had already slipped in camp, and the Roberts signing on Wednesday pushed him further down the depth chart.
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo reported that Harrison has fallen to third-team reps and that his roster spot is in real jeopardy, laying out the financial case for a release.
“The Steelers can save $4.75 million against the cap by cutting Malik Harrison,” DeFabo wrote. “Signed to be a starter last year, he’s practically fallen off the depth chart and is now taking third-team reps.”
Those savings matter for a team that entered the week with just over $3 million in cap space, the second-lowest figure in the NFL. Cutting Harrison would free up $4.75 million against $2.04 million in dead money, meaningful flexibility for a roster with almost none.
Harrison arrived from the Baltimore Ravens on a two-year, $10 million deal in 2025, brought in as a physical run defender and special-teams piece. His first season in black and gold started poorly, as a knee injury landed him on injured reserve after Week 1. He returned around Week 9 and made nine starts, but the production never justified the price.
Now the Steelers have more bodies than snaps at inside linebacker, and Harrison carries a $6.79 million cap hit as a projected backup. Queen and Wilson are locks, Roberts brings a run-stopping edge Graham trusts, and Bruener holds value on special teams.
The writing has been on the wall for weeks. Cutting Harrison would save money Pittsburgh badly needs and clear a path for younger, cheaper depth. As Moton suggested, it might even do Harrison a favor by freeing him to chase a bigger role somewhere else.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Steelers’ $10 Million Signing Predicted to Be Cut After Stunning Fall appeared first on HEAVY.