Pittsburgh Steelers release QB Trace McSorley, DB Nate Meadors

The Pittsburgh Steelers released quarterback Trace McSorley and defensive back Nate Meadors from their practice squad, the team announced Tuesday.

McSorley, 28, signed to the Steelers’ practice squad in early December. The former Penn State star has been with five different teams since being selected in the sixth-round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. McSorley has made nine appearances (one start) in his career, the lone start coming last season with the Arizona Cardinals.

Meadors, 26, had only been with the Steelers since Dec. 27. Undrafted out of UCLA, Meadors has appeared in three games in his career, all coming with the Minnesota Vikings. He’s bounced around eight different teams since entering the league in 2019 and had a brief stint with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL in 2023.

Pittsburgh is currently prepping for the AFC Wild Card showdown against the Buffalo Bills this Sunday. The Steelers, riding a three-game winning streak heading into the playoffs, are sticking with Mason Rudolph under center. Rudolph, the third-string quarterback to begin the season, has played well over the past few weeks and even with Kenny Pickett healthy after undergoing ankle surgery, head coach Mike Tomlin is riding the hot hand.

“We’re just simply staying with the hot hand and not disrupting the apple cart,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “We’ve been in some tough circumstances. He’s delivered, we’ve delivered and so we will continue in that vein.”

Steelers set to be without star player vs. Bills

Unfortunately for the Steelers, they will be without star linebacker T.J. Watt. The 29-year-old suffered a knee injury in the 17-10 Week 18 victory over the Baltimore Ravens this past Saturday. Watt made NFL history this season, becoming the first player to lead the league in sacks in three consecutive seasons. He finished with 19.0 sacks.

While the loss of Watt is significant, it’s nothing new for the Steelers, who have played without other stars such as defensive lineman Cameron Heyward and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick for large stretches of the season.

“Obviously playing without T.J. is significant, but to be quite honest with you, we’ve played without a lot of people this year,” Tomlin said. “It’s just another opportunity for us to strike a blow for team and to display what team really means, a collective of individuals that work together in an effort to produce an outcome. It’s not going to be a one-man job in terms of replacing T.J. … Just like I stood before you and said similar things when Cameron Heyward missed a block of games, it is going to be a by committee approach.

“We better strengthen our output in other areas because T.J. is one of a kind, but that’s ball. There’s an attrition component to it. That’s what makes it the ultimate team game.”