First and 10: Second Cuts on Deck

Once back in the 1980s, then-Steelers head coach Chuck Noll was asked, after a particularly uninspired performance in a preseason game, if the team’s upcoming cuts would be difficult.

“Cutting won’t be a problem,” Noll retorted. “Stopping will.”

That’s exactly what the Steelers will have to do on Tuesday, as five more players must be removed from the active roster before 4 p.m.

And while this version of the Steelers is a perfect 3-0 in preseason play, there are plenty of easy ways to trim five players from the roster. Or even a lot more.

That’s why projecting who the team will leave behind in these early cuts is so difficult. There are at least 15 players left that we can be reasonably sure won’t make the final 53-man roster. Which of them will get the axe on Tuesday? It’s hard to say.

It’s not always the worst of the bunch, either. Over the years, when the NFL has had tiered cuts like it does this year, the Steelers have tried to release veteran players that aren’t going to make the team earlier in the process in order to give them a better opportunity to catch on somewhere else.

That doesn’t apply to a whole lot of players on this Steelers team, but it wouldn’t be totally shocking to see a vet among the names called out just after today’s practice ends.

Alan Saunders and Ed Thompson will have coverage from the South Side, as the Steelers practice from 1:30 to 3:30, with cuts following immediately thereafter.

News and notes from around the Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football League.

STEELERS HEADLINES

🏈 Trai Turner wants to be the leader of a young Steelers offensive line. Nick Farabaugh

🏈 The Steelers have faith in Cam Sutton, and he remains an option at slot corner. Farabaugh

🏈 Training Camp Takeaways: UDFA safety Donovan Stiner is making the most of his opportunities. Saunders

🏈 Slot CB Arthur Maulet is day-to-day with a right ankle injury. Saunders

VIDEO CONTENT FROM PITTSBURGH SPORTS LIVE

AROUND THE NFL

🏈 Former Steelers QB Devlin Hodges was released by the LA Rams. Hedderick

STEELERS HISTORY

🏈 2020 A testing SNAFU caused 77 false positives in the NFL’s early COVID-19 testing regime. Cale Berger

🏈 2019 Exclusive with former Titans RB Eddie George. Ron Lippock

🏈 1996 Steelers defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs was born in Ruston, Louisiana.

🏈 1953 Former Steelers defensive lineman Gary Dunn was born in Coral Gables, Florida.

🏈 1950 Former Steelers offensive lineman John Banaszak was born in Cleveland.

🏈 1949 Four-time Super Bowl champion offensive lineman Gerry “Moon” Mullins was born in Fullerton, California.

AROUND THE NETWORK

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Ke’Bryan Hayes capped a four-run Pirates comeback to beat the Diamondbacks.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Discussing the Bryan Rust contract and potential complications.

Pittsburgh Sports Now: Pitt BB releases non-conference schedule

WVU Sports Now: Dante Stills named pre-season All-American

Nittany Sports Now: PSU BB lands a 4-star guard recruit