The Pittsburgh Steelers could have one of the best edge rushing groups in the NFL again during 2025. On Tuesday, they added to that unit, signing Kenny Willekes.
The Steelers announced inking the UFL star edge rusher to a contract Tuesday morning. To make room for Willekes on the 90-man roster, the Steelers also waived/injured offensive tackle Gareth Warren.
UFL insider James Larsen first reported the Steelers signing Willekes, who was one of the top edge rushers in the UFL for the Michigan Panthers in 2024 and 2025.
Willekes is coming off a tremendous #UFL campaign in Michigan; with 31 tackles, 4 sacks, & 28 QB pressures to his name.
One of the UFL’s top edge rushers from 2024-2025. #UFLtoNFL
The Steelers are adding Willekes one week before NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players. The league’s roster cutdown day is August 26 with the deadline set at 4 pm ET to cut the rosters from 90 to 53 players.
Pittsburgh will conclude the 2025 preseason schedule against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday.
What Edge Rusher Kenny Willekes Could Bring to Steelers
The 28-year-old edge rusher has been in professional football for more than half a decade.
The Minnesota Vikings drafted Willekes at No. 225 overall in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He made his NFL regular season debut with the Vikings in 2021.
During that season, he posted 18 combined tackles, including two tackles for loss, and seven quarterback hits in six games. He also had 2.5 sacks and one pass defense while playing 202 defensive snaps.
But Willekes hasn’t appeared in an NFL regular season game since 2021. Before signing with the Steelers, the last time he was on an NFL roster was with the Vikings in May 2023.
Over nine games for the Panthers in the UFL this past season, he registered 3.5 sacks and 31 total tackles. Willekes had four sacks in nine games during the 2024 UFL season.
Willekes played college football at Michigan State from 2016-19. As a junior, he led the Big Ten with 21 tackles for loss and posted 10.5 sacks during his senior season.
At the 2020 NFL combine, Willekes showcased his strength with 32 reps on the bench press. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.87 seconds.
Steelers Edge Rushing Depth Entering Week 3 of NFL Preseason
As is the case with any player added this late in the preseason, it’s going to be difficult for Willekes to make Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster.
The Steelers are rather set at edge rusher too. T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig are once again projected to be the team’s top three players along the edge. Those three players might be the best trio of edge defenders in the NFL.
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Steelers added outside linebacker Jack Sawyer at No. 123 overall in the fourth round.
On the team’s latest depth chart, Sawyer and former third-rounder DeMarvin Leal are listed as second-team outside linebackers. NFL pundits at Bleacher Report have speculated that Leal could be a cut or trade candidate before roster cutdown day.
The Steelers also have Julius Welschof and Eku Leota on the 90-man roster for additional edge rushing depth.
It’s possible the Steelers foresee resting more of their top edge rushers in Week 3 of the preseason. If that’s the case, they may have added Willekes to have another edge defender available for the Panthers matchup.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor suggested that could be why the Steelers signed cornerback Kam Alexander on Monday.
But if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster, Willekes could also be a candidate for the Steelers practice squad.
Warren was an undrafted free agent from Lindenwood this summer. The offensive lineman played 48 snaps total in Pittsburgh’s first two preseason games.
Steelers Announce Signing UFL Edge Rusher Star, Waive OT