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Pittsburgh Steelers' 53-man roster projection: Ben Roethlisberger's backup won't be Dwayne Haskins just yet

Dwayne Haskins did enough to earn a roster spot, but don't look for him to supplate Mason Rudolph as No. 2 just yet. AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers open the 2021 NFL regular season at the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 12 at Highmark Stadium. The Steelers finished 2020 with a 12-4 record, atop the AFC North, before losing a wild-card game to the Cleveland Browns.

With a training camp trade and a couple of veterans underperforming in the preseason, the 53-man roster projection looks a little different than it did going into camp. The Steelers already parted with one recent draft pick, waiving 2020 pick Antoine Brooks Jr., once a projected front-runner for the nickel job, with an injury designation, and he might not be the last one after below-average camps from Benny Snell Jr. and Jaylen Samuels, selected in the 2019 and 2018 drafts, respectively.

The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Here is a projection:


QUARTERBACKS (3): Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph, Dwayne Haskins

Haskins isn't taking Rudolph's No. 2 spot, but he did enough to at least earn a roster spot and continue developing in the Steelers' quarterback room. Josh Dobbs made the race for No. 3 a tight one, and his football IQ makes him a favorite of Roethlisberger's on the sideline, but Haskins' higher ceiling earns him a roster spot.