PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are rapidly approaching the start of Training Camp, and difficult personnel decisions are already beginning to emerge.
As the team prepares for one of its most competitive summers in recent years, the battle for roster spots is becoming increasingly intense.
Like every NFL franchise, the Steelers will continue trimming and reshaping the roster before the regular season officially begins.
That process almost always creates surprises.
This year, two names have emerged as potential casualties of Pittsburgh’s ongoing roster restructuring.
The first is defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal.
When the Steelers selected Leal with the No. 84 overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, he was expected to become an important piece of the team's defensive future.
Instead, the first four seasons of his NFL career have been largely underwhelming.
While Leal has occasionally flashed potential, he has never truly established himself as a difference maker within Pittsburgh’s defensive system.
For a franchise built on physicality, toughness, and relentless pressure on opposing quarterbacks, that lack of development is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook.
Over the past several seasons, Pittsburgh has continued adding young talent to its defensive front.
As a result, Leal's position on the roster appears more vulnerable than ever.
He may no longer be viewed as a critical part of the organization’s long-term plans.
Unless he delivers a breakthrough performance during Training Camp, the Steelers could decide to move in a different direction.
The second name is even more surprising.
Troy Fautanu was once viewed as the future of Pittsburgh’s offensive line.
When the Steelers used a first-round pick to select him in the 2024 NFL Draft, they believed they had found a cornerstone tackle for years to come.
The fact that Pittsburgh invested such a premium selection demonstrated just how highly the organization valued the former offensive tackle prospect.
However, Fautanu’s first full season in 2025 was repeatedly disrupted by injuries.
Instead of developing according to plan, he spent much of the year recovering and working his way back onto the field.
That reality has made his future far less certain than many fans expected.
No one questions Fautanu’s talent.
But his ability to stay healthy and consistently available has become the biggest concern surrounding him.
The Steelers cannot continue placing complete trust in players who struggle to remain on the field.
Meanwhile, younger players behind him continue pushing for opportunities and creating pressure throughout the depth chart.
That puts Fautanu under far more pressure entering Training Camp than many anticipated.
For Steelers fans, the idea that a recent first-round pick could already be facing questions about his future is difficult to believe.
Yet Pittsburgh has long been known for evaluating players based on performance and availability rather than draft status alone.
That is what makes this summer so important for both players.
Leal must prove he can still develop into a meaningful contributor rather than remain a depth option.
Fautanu must prove he can stay healthy and become the foundational piece Pittsburgh envisioned when it invested a premium first-round pick in him.
Both players still have an opportunity to change the narrative.
But neither enters Training Camp with a guaranteed future.
And if Pittsburgh’s roster restructuring continues at its current pace, two once-promising names could find themselves fighting to remain part of the Steelers’ long-term plans.
