Rejoice, football fans, because we are about to enter the final weekend of preseason football.
The Steelers have a 1-1 record through two preseason games, and there have been plenty of storylines to talk about with the team so far. For example, the Cameron Heyward situation is still not resolved, and the depth in the wide receiver room is starting to be concerning.
One of the players who seemed to have a decent shot at factoring into the receiver room was Roc Taylor. Taylor was a standout for the Memphis Tigers in college and surprisingly did not get selected in the 2025 NFL Draft despite being mocked as a late-round pick.
The Steelers worked quickly to scoop Taylor up and gave the receiver a $30,000 signing bonus. This summer, Taylor flashed some serious ability and was beginning to be a dark horse candidate to make the final roster.
In the first preseason game, Taylor caught two passes for 38 yards. Then, in the second game, Taylor performed even better and caught three passes for 39 yards.
However, after that decent performance in the second preseason game, Taylor was surprisingly cut. At the time, it was shocking to see Taylor kicked off the roster considering his impressive play and the lack of quality depth in the Steelers’ receiver room.
A few days removed from the move, though, it’s starting to make some more sense why Taylor was cut. Per Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo, Taylor found himself in Mike Tomlin’s “doghouse” last week during joint practices.
“[Roc Taylor] actually got in Tomlin’s doghouse at the joint practice,” Fittipaldo said. “Not sure if that’s the sole reason he was cut, but maybe part of it.”
It certainly makes sense if that’s why Taylor was cut, because there seemingly wasn’t a performance-based reason for the move. Fittipaldo did not elaborate on what Taylor did, but clearly it was enough for Tomlin to cut bait.
Even if Taylor wasn’t going to make the team anyway, one would have to assume the Memphis product was set for a practice squad role. Now, the UDFA will have to try and find a fit somewhere else with just one preseason game to go.
Without Taylor, it seems like camp standout Max Hurleman has a better shot of making the team. Hurleman didn’t have a great second preseason game, but his versatility and special teams’ prowess could give him the edge over the other receivers.
Of course, there is still the possibility that the team makes an outside addition. Signing a veteran like Gabe Davis or pulling off another trade could spell the end for Hurleman as well.
