Steelers A to Z: RB Trey Sermon gets another shot to put it together

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

RB TREY SERMON

Experience/age: Fifth season, 26

Contract status: $1.03 million cap hit if he makes the team in 2025, after which would be a free agent

The past: Sermon had a high-profile college career, running for two blueblood programs in Oklahoma and Ohio State and appearing in College Football Playoff games over three seasons. After totaling almost 3,000 rushing yards and scoring 29 touchdowns in 45 college games, he was a third-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. But after having only 41 carries over nine games (two starts) as a rookie, he was cut before the start of his second season. Sermon spent the 2022 season on the roster of the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles but appeared in only two games. Again cut at the end of the next preseason (during which he was injured), Sermon signed with the Indianapolis Colts in September 2023. He was active for 31 of the Colts’ 32 games from that point through the end of last season, gaining 309 rushing yards and 112 receiving yards with two touchdowns in that span. His most productive game with the Colts was when he carried 17 times for 88 yards in a December 2023 victory against the Steelers.

2025 outlook: Indianapolis made no attempt to retain Sermon, and he was still without a team eight weeks into the new league year and after the draft had been conducted when the Steelers called with an invite to their rookie minicamp. Sermon was on hand as one of its oldest participants on a tryout basis. Sermon proved good enough the Steelers signed him upon conclusion of the camp.

Though the Steelers let erstwhile starter Najee Harris leave in free agency, they gave their ‘1A” running back — Jaylen Warren — a significant raise. They also spent their second draft pick on a running back, Iowa’s Kaleb Williams, and they signed third-down specialist Kenneth Gainwell early in free agency. They also have Sermon’s former Colts teammate Evan Hull on the roster. It’s a crowded path to a spot on the active roster for Sermon, but if he impresses enough during training camp and the preseason it is easy to envision a spot on the practice squad as insurance for an in-season injury. Sermon has pedigree and NFL experience.