One of the top feel-good stories of the 2026 NFL Draft was seeing the Pittsburgh Steelers select local running back Eli Heidenreich in the seventh round. On Sunday, Heidenreich took another major step toward making his NFL debut with his hometown team.
Steelers insider Christopher Carter reported Sunday evening Heidenreich will make the team’s initial 53-man roster. Carter added that fellow rookies and defensive tackles Gabe Rubio and Kevin Jobity Jr. will also make the roster.
BREAKING: Sources indicate to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Steelers are keeping RB Eli Heidenreich, DT Kevin Jobity Jr. and DT Gabriel Rubio as part of their final 53-man roster,” wrote Carter on X.
Heidenreich played football and attended school Mt. Lebanon High School, which is roughly 15 minutes south of Acrisure Stadium in downtown Pittsburgh. In college, Heidenreich became a star at Navy, posting back-to-back seasons with more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2024 and 2025.
The Steelers picked the running back at No. 230 overall in the seventh round this past spring.
The team grabbed Rubio at No. 210 overall a round earlier in the sixth. Rubio was contending for one of the final roster spots at defensive line entering the preseason finale.
On Sunday afternoon, the Steelers released veteran Dean Lowry, which appeared to clear the road to Rubio making the team.
The Steelers signed Jobity in NFL undrafted free agency. Of the three players in Carter’s report, he’s probably the biggest roster surprise.
Steelers Keep RB Eli Heidenreich on 53-Man Roster
For a while in August, it didn’t seem likely that Heidenreich would make the cut. A lot of pundits saw the Steelers keeping either third-round running back Kaleb Johnson or veteran Travis Homer.
But Sunday, the Steelers traded Johnson to the Green Bay Packers. The team then elected to release Homer and retain Heidenreich instead.
The Navy product will bring a lot of versatility to the Steelers offense and special teams. In 38 college games, he averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Heidenreich also posted 18.3 yards per catch.
Last season alone, Heidenreich had 51 receptions for 941 yards, averaging 18.5 yards per catch.
Heidenreich could lined up in the backfield or the slot as a pass-catcher. He also has some experience returning punts.
The Steelers just drafted wide receiver Kaden Wetjen as a return specialist. Wetjen returned a punt for a touchdown in the team’s preseason finale Thursday. Heidenreich will likely be Wetjen’s backup and could perhaps see some opportunities on the kickoff return team.
During the preseason, Heidenreich received snaps on the kick coverage teams.
Steelers’ Rookies Gabe Rubio, Kevin Jobity Jr. Make Team
The Steelers had a deep defensive line room throughout preseason and training camp. The top five spots in the position group belonged to Cameron Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, Keeanu Benton and Sebastian Joseph-Day.
But the Steelers still valued their rookie defensive linemen enough to keep them on the roster.
Rubio excelled throughout training camp. The bigger roster surprise was Jobity, who appeared to be behind Lowry and fellow veteran Esezi Otomewo. But the team moved on from Lowry and Otomewo on Sunday.
Rubio played college football at Notre Dame. For the Fighting Irish, he had seven tackles for loss, three pass defenses and 1.5 sacks in 39 games.
Jobity spent his college career at Syracuse. He had 30 tackles and five sacks for the Orange last season.
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