Steelers Predicted to Cut 9-Year NFL Vet After Derrick Harmon News

The spring portion of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason program is complete with minicamp ending last week, and now the focus shifts to training camp and 53-man roster cutdown news.

According to Steelers Now beat reporter Alan Saunders, one unexpected roster cut could be nine-year NFL veteran defensive lineman Dean Lowry, who spent the majority of his career with new Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.

And rookie first-rounder Derrick Harmon could factor into this decision.

During a post-minicamp 53-man roster projection, Saunders left Lowry off the Week 1 roster, reasoning: “It’s really hard to leave a quality vet like Dean Lowry on the cutting room floor, but Isaiahh Loudermilk has been ahead in the pecking order since the end of last season, and I just can’t find a seventh roster spot for a defensive lineman.”

Lowry’s wealth of starting experience was initially something the Steelers liked about him when he signed a two-year, $5 million deal last offseason. But now, Pittsburgh has Harmon as their likely 2025 starter alongside Keeanu Benton and Cameron Heyward, and the need for Lowry on the roster feels less significant.

Especially after the latest news on Harmon.

Steelers Coach Confirms Derrick Harmon Expected to Be Day 1 Starter in Pittsburgh

The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo shared some Steelers notes and updates after mandatory minicamp on June 16, and one section was dedicated to Harmon.

“The Steelers drafted Harmon in the first round, knowing they’d need a Day 1 starter,” DeFabo wrote. “In case there was any question, defensive line coach Karl Dunbar made it clear that’s where the former 6-foot-4, 313-pound defensive tackle will begin his NFL career.”

“He’s our left starting defensive tackle. You can write that,” Dunbar told the media last week, per DeFabo.

The reporter continued, noting that “while the Steelers have, in some instances, broken in their rookies slowly, it’s no surprise to see Harmon atop the depth chart already. Offseason addition Daniel Ekuale started 16 games last year for the [New England] Patriots, but that was due to Christian Barmore’s absence.”

He added that at this point in their respective careers, Ekuale, Loudermilk, Lowry, Logan Lee and others “fit better as rotational pieces.”

Will Dean Lowry Turn Into a Steelers Roster Cut After an Offseason of Defensive Line News?

This should be a competitive training camp battle for the Steelers, so don’t write off Lowry just yet. It’s pretty clear, however, that veterans like Lowry are at least on the roster bubble this summer.

The Steelers have dropped defensive line news all offseason, from signing Ekuale to drafting Harmon and rookie nose tackle Yahya Black. Making it clear early on that this would be a point of emphasis in 2025.

Will Lowry turn into the big-name casualty of these moves? Or will a former draft pick like Loudermilk or Lee wind up cut?

Saunders has the Steelers keeping six defensive linemen after training camp, with Loudermilk, Black and Ekuale surviving as the three backups. But head coach Mike Tomlin could theoretically choose to keep as many as seven.

“The real question when it comes to playing time along the defensive line is: How do the Steelers split playing time among interior defensive linemen in sub-packages when there are just two on the field with two outside linebackers to create a four-man front?” DeFabo pondered within his article. And that answer will help determine how many bodies Tomlin feels he needs.

Either way, reserves like Lowry, Ekuale, Loudermilk, Lee, Domenique Davis, Jacob Slade and Esezi Otomewo will likely be pitted against one another for two or three roster spots. May the best D-linemen win.