Eli Heidenreich - NFL News, Rumors, & Updates

Former Navy Football Star Eli Heidenreich: 'Really Humbling' To Play For Hometown Steelers - PressBox Growing up in the Pittsburgh suburbs, Eli Heidenreich spent his childhood rooting for the Steelers. Now he's playing for them. The former Na...

5 DAYS AGO • PRESSBOXONLINE.COM

WATCH: Eli Heidenreich Media Availability (Sept. 10) Eli Heidenreich spoke with the media Thursday, September 10 ahead of Steelers Week 1 game against the Falcons

SEPTEMBER 10 • STEELERS.COM

Gets into end zone against Bills 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.

Impact 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.

AUGUST 28 • ROTOWIRE

HIGHLIGHT: Heidenreich takes the pitch for a TD RB Eli Heidenreich takes the pitch and cuts in for the TD

AUGUST 28 • STEELERS.COM

Steelers fans get fresh sign that Pittsburgh's RB3 may not be on the roster The Pittsburgh Steelers have a major depth issue brewing at the running back position that Kaleb Johnson and Eli Heidenreich haven't been ab...

AUGUST 21 • STILLCURTAIN.COM

Steelers Might Have Home Run Derby Curse The Pittsburgh Steelers crowned a new Home Run derby champion over the weekend as training camp comes to an end. Rookie running back Eli Hei...

AUGUST 17 • SI.COM

Mike McCarthy and Eli Heidenreich's Pittsburgh homecomings get real as preseason begins

Mike McCarthy and Eli Heidenreich will take the final steps of their homecoming journey when the two Pittsburgh natives take the field as the Steelers host Green Bay in the preseas...

AUGUST 12 • Associated Press

Steelers Get Good Injury News on Rookie Eli Heidenreich It appears Eli Heidenreich is set to return and will play in the Pittsburgh Steelers' first game of the preseason. After missing a handful o...

AUGUST 11 • SI.COM

Is set to be RB Heidenreich is listed as a running back on the Steelers' initial 2026 depth chart, Brian Batko of the team's official site reports.

Impact 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 more utilized as a rusher and pass blocker than a true outside threat.

AUGUST 5 • ROTOWIRE

Eli Heidenreich Shows Off Speed and Hands Before Steelers Camp PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers don't know what they have in seventh-round rookie Eli Heidenreich yet, but they're hoping for the best...

JULY 25 • SI.COM

Navy legend Eli Heidenreich gets bad news in Steelers roster projection from ESPN | Sporting News Heidenreich is a hometown kid, too, who grew up as a Steelers fan.

JULY 24 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM

Steelers Veteran Could Crush Kaleb Johnson and Eli Heidenreich's Dreams A lot has been made about the Pittsburgh Steelers' potential position battle for the No. 3 running back spot between Kaleb Johnson and Eli H...

JULY 12 • SI.COM

DK Metcalf Gives Steelers Rookie Eli Heidenreich New Nickname PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers see more than just a seventh-round tag on running back Eli Heidenreich. Despite him being one of the t...

JULY 3 • SI.COM

Steelers Had Competition for Rookie Eli Heidenreich PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers delivered a dream come true moment for seventh-round draft pick Eli Heidenreich. Not only did the Navy...

JULY 2 • SI.COM

Works mostly at RB during OTAs Heidenreich, who is currently listed as both a running back and wide receiver on the Steelers' official website, "overwhelmingly lined up in the backfield" during team drills and w...

Impact 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 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 he can be capable in pass protection -- something he was rarely asked to do while with Navy.

JUNE 27 • ROTOWIRE

Steelers already feeling pressure over their Eli Heidenreich gamble The Pittsburgh Steelers called their shot when they selected Eli Heidenreich in the seventh round, and it may already be backfiring for the...

JUNE 14 • STILLCURTAIN.COM

How Eli Heidenreich Makes Steelers Roster Over Kaleb Johnson It's impossible to ignore the buzz surrounding Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Eli Heidenreich. As the offseason program concludes, Heidenreich's...

JUNE 13 • SI.COM

Steelers may already be asking too much from rookie fan favorite The Pittsburgh Steelers would be wise to allow seventh-round rookie Eli Heidenreich to stick at a spot that's best for his skill set in the...

MAY 14 • STILLCURTAIN.COM

Steelers 2026 draft steal is already pushing for a bigger role than fans expect Eli Heidenreich wasn't just a feel-good selection. The Navy product and Mt. Lebanon native heard his name called in the seventh round of las...

MAY 11 • FANSIDED.COM

WATCH: Eli Heidenreich Media Availability (May 9) Eli Heidenreich spoke with the media Saturday, May 9 after Rookie Minicamp Day 2.

MAY 9 • STEELERS.COM

Listed as both RB and WR The Steelers list Heidenreich as both a running back and wide receiver on their official website, Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com reports.

Impact 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).

MAY 6 • ROTOWIRE

Steelers former third-round pick is on life support following Eli Heidenreich pick Eli Heidenreich was the final pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers draft, and his addition could spell doom for this former third-round pick.

APRIL 28 • STILLCURTAIN.COM

Steelers, Alex Tecza keep teammate streak with Navy's Eli Heidenreich alive | Sporting News This is such a cool added narrative.

APRIL 27 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM

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Mike McCarthy and Eli Heidenreich's Pittsburgh homecomings get real as preseason begins