When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed 6’ 3”, 255-lb linebacker Malik Harrison off the Baltimore Ravens on a 2-year, $10 million contract, the intention seemed clear. The first instinct was to give defensive coordinator Teryl Austin an old-school, downhill run enforcer to clean up the middle of the field.  The need for a new infusion of youth was obvious since Pittsburgh has been trying to replace veterans at the LB position ever since Ryan Shazier suffered a career-ending injury in 2017.

Malik Harrison’s time with the Black and Gold was cut short before it really began. A Week 1 injury kept him sidelined for 6 games. When he returned, he made 11 appearances and only 40% of defensive snaps for the Steelers. Harrison recorded 12 missed tackles in 2025; that was the 2nd most on the team and the worst ratio among all Steelers defenders who at least made 5 tackles last season.

The $4.75 non-guaranteed base salary seemed to be looming large over the front office as they decided not to go ahead with the rotational LB. Sunday’s roster cutdown deadline saw Malik Harrison being let go, as MySportsUpdate’s Ari Meirov first reported the news on X.

“The #Steelers are releasing LB Malik Harrison, the former #Ravens 3rd-round pick who signed a 2-year, $10M contract with Pittsburgh last year.”

The financial side of things could have been the main driving force behind this decision. According to OverTheCap, Harrison had a cap charge of $6.79 million for 2026. And since the non-guaranteed base salary owed to him was $4.75 million, his termination clears that entire amount. So now, the Pittsburgh Steelers are just $2.04 million in dead cap space. 

Harrison was brought in as a run-stopping specialist, but his 2025 production fell short of expectations. In 11 games, he accumulated 41 combined tackles and only 2 tackles for loss.

Before joining Pittsburgh, Harrison built his reputation at Ohio State before the Baltimore Ravens drafted him in the 3rd round in 2020. He spent five years in Baltimore, recording 174 career combined tackles in just 76 games. The move to a rival team in the AFC North was significant when it happened, but looking back, it will be seen as a tenure that ended after just 11 games. 

Since Harrison has completed 6 seasons in the NFL and is a veteran, he does not need to pass through league waivers. This immediately puts him on the open market as an unrestricted free agent. It remains to be seen whether any NFL team signs the veteran linebacker ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

Pivot towards a younger LB room in Pittsburgh

However, Harrison wasn’t the only Linebacker to be shown the door amid roster cutdowns in Pittsburgh. The Steelers also released 32-year-old veteran Elandon Roberts, exactly 17 days after re-signing him to a one-year deal. That’s now 2 physically dominant, early-down run stoppers removed. It shows a defensive pivot towards a younger, more agile LB room. 

Patrick Queen, currently on a 3-year, $41 million deal, will be the one leading this change. A former teammate of Malik Harrison in Baltimore, he made a similar switch from the AFC North rivals a year before Malik did. The 2x Pro Bowler and 1x 2nd Team All-Pro member has accumulated more than 100 combined tackles in 5 out of his 6 pro seasons. 

Payton Wilson will provide the defense with high-end sideline-to-sideline speed and coverage ability. He has accumulated 204 combined tackles and 9 tackles for loss in just 2 seasons. 

The real roster squeeze happens behind them. Veteran Cole Holcomb recovered from his severe 2023 knee injury, signed a 2-year extension, and will be locking in the primary backup spot. Carson Bruener and Jamin Davis, 25 and 27, respectively, will be completing the Steelers’ LB room while also providing special-teams value. 

So, paying close to $5 million for an option that rarely gets used apart from early-down situations, like Malik Harrison, seemingly made no sense to the Steelers.