Heidenreich (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.
The seventh-round rookie continues to be inactive behind Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, Travis Homer and Lew Nichols. It remains unclear what Heidenreich's role is and whether he will remain on the roster throughout the 2026 season.
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Steelers' Eli Heidenreich: Healthy scratch for Week 3
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Heidenreich (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Bengals.
It looked like the rookie seventh-rounder was in line for a slightly larger role Sunday after Rico Dowdle (toe) was ruled out. However, Heidenreich will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season, with Travis Homer and Lew Nichols providing depth in the backfield for Jaylen Warren while fellow rookie Kaden Wetjen operates as the primary returner on kickoffs. Heidenreich's next chance to play is Thursday against the Browns.
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Steelers' Eli Heidenreich: Gets into end zone against Bills
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Heidenreich carried the ball nine times for 35 yards and a touchdown while adding 47 yards on two kickoff returns during Thursday's 28-27 preseason loss to Buffalo.
The rookie seventh-round pick showed some of his versatility by making a positive impression on special teams while also scoring Pittsburgh's only rushing TD of the night, taking a pitch from Drew Allar and churning his way through traffic from nine yards out in the third quarter. Heidenreich is fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster, but he curiously didn't catch a pass in the preseason despite that being his main strength in college, making it tough to evaluate his chances of sticking around behind the clear top backfield duo of Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle.
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Steelers' Eli Heidenreich: Is set to be RB
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Heidenreich is listed as a running back on the Steelers' initial 2026 depth chart, Brian Batko of the team's official site reports.
Heidenreich was signed and listed as both a running back and a wide receiver initially. The 2026 seventh-rounder has lined up in the backfield at an overwhelming rate in training camp, so Wednesday's unofficial depth chart just confirms what was evident. This listing does not mean Heidenreich will not see any downfield action, especially if he makes the 53-man roster, but that he will likely be utilized more as a rusher and pass blocker than as a true outside threat.
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Steelers' Eli Heidenreich: Works mostly at RB during OTAs
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Heidenreich, who is currently listed as both a running back and wide receiver on the Steelers' official website, "overwhelmingly lined up in the backfield" in team drills and worked mostly with the running backs for individual drills during OTAs, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.
Heidenreich excelled as both a wideout and running back in college with Navy, and Steelers running backs coach Ramon Chinyoung Sr. has fittingly referred to the rookie as a "Swiss Navy knife." That seemingly boosts Heidenreich's chances of making the opening 53-man roster, but DeFabo still sees the seventh-round draft pick as more likely to begin his NFL career on the practice squad. Still, Heidenreich is an intriguing young player due to his unique skill set, which also includes the ability to return kicks. Should Pittsburgh decide to open up the playbook more, Heidenreich could fit in as a change-of-pace weapon, though he's probably going to need to prove capable in pass protection -- something he was rarely asked to do while at Navy.
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Steelers' Eli Heidenreich: Listed as both RB and WR
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The Steelers list Heidenreich as both a running back and wide receiver on their official website, Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com reports.
The team roster and Heidenreich's player page both show 'RB/WR' as his position, reflecting uncertainty about his NFL future after a three-year run at Navy yielded 169 carries and 109 catches (for 3,151 yards and 23 TDs). A 4.44 40 at the combine confirmed that Heidenreich has NFL-caliber athleticism, but he's thin for a running back (6-feet, 198 pounds) and doesn't have much experience running routes from the perimeter. While there's always some chance the Steelers create a unique role in their offense for Heidenreich, the more likely reality for a seventh-round pick (230th overall) is that he'll need to show value on special teams and/or as the backup for a more conventional role (e.g., third-down back, slot receiver).
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Steelers' Eli Heidenreich: Finds home with Steelers
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The Steelers selected Heidenrich in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 230th overall.
Heidenrich is arguably the most versatile back in the draft, racking up not only 77 carries for 499 yards and three touchdowns, but also adding 51 catches for a whopping 941 yards and six touchdowns in a triple-option Navy offense that doesn't typically throw the ball that often. He figures to be more of a receiving back similar to a Danny Woodhead or Darren Sproles but could be a unique player with a creative offensive coordinator. Heidenrich's top-end speed isn't off the charts, and he's not the most elusive back in the draft. He'll have to earn his way up the depth chart in the Steel City and may be asked to contribute on special teams to keep his spot on the 53-man roster.
