The Pittsburgh Steelers have made significant changes to their roster, leading to the release of running back Trey Sermon. This decision comes after the team signed Asante Samuel Jr. to their practice squad, prompting a series of personnel adjustments.
Following the signing of Samuel, the Steelers executed multiple roster moves, which included two player cuts and one promotion. Will Howard was elevated from the reserved/injured list, while Darrick Forrest was waived from the practice squad alongside Sermon.
This latest move leaves the Steelers with a thinner running back group, but it allows them to infuse some youth into their quarterback lineup by promoting Howard, who recently celebrated a national championship with Ohio State and is 24 years old.
Trey Sermon”s journey to the Steelers has been eventful. He enjoyed a successful college career at the University of Oklahoma before finishing at Ohio State. Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers as the 88th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Sermon spent parts of two seasons with the team before being released prior to the start of the 2022 season.
In 2022, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles, appearing in two games before being cut during the 2023 regular season in mid-September. Shortly after, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts, where he served as a backup to Jonathan Taylor and participated in 14 games during the 2023 season. He continued with the Colts into the 2024 season before hitting free agency.
Sermon signed with the Steelers in May 2025, participating in training camp and the preseason before being released during the final roster cuts. He was later re-signed to the practice squad at the start of the season. After being called up to the active roster, he appeared in one game but has now been waived.
Looking ahead, Sermon, now 26 years old, will enter free agency once again. Given the current landscape of the league, where injuries are rampant, there is a possibility that another team may take a chance on him. Meanwhile, the Steelers will rely on Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, and Kaleb Johnson as their primary running backs moving forward.
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Additional injuries have also struck the Steelers” offensive line, and former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has publicly expressed his regrets toward a former teammate. Fans are eager to see when Asante Samuel Jr. will make his debut for the team, especially after the release of a defensive back following Samuel”s signing.
