Steelers roster spotlight: Can Lake McRee make the 53-man roster as undrafted rookie?
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Steelers roster spotlight: Can Lake McRee make the 53-man roster as undrafted rookie?
Andrew Vasquez, Steelers Wire
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1 min read
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ThePittsburgh Steelershave a handful of undrafted rookies vying for roster spots, including former USC Trojans tight end Lake McRee.
From now until the start of the regular season, we atSteelersWire will be analyzing every player on the roster. Here's a look at McRee and what could be in store for his 2026 season.
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At a glance
Height:6-foot-4
Weight:250 pounds
Age:23 years old
NFL experience:R
Week 1:Sunday, Sept. 13, vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Brett Davis, Brett Davis-Imagn Images)
Week 2:Sunday, Sept. 20, at New England Patriots, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Brian Fluharty, Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images)
Week 3:Sunday, Sept. 27, vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Charles LeClaire, Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
Week 4:Thursday Night Football, Oct. 1, at Cleveland Browns, 8:15 p.m. ET
(Justin K. Aller, Getty Images)
Week 5:Sunday, Oct. 11, vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Justin K. Aller, Getty Images)
Week 6:Sunday, Oct. 18, at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Barry Reeger, Barry Reeger-Imagn Images)
Week 7:Sunday, Oct. 25, at New Orleans Saints, 9:30 a.m. ET (Paris)
(SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network, SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network)
Week 8:Sunday, Nov. 1, vs. Cleveland Browns, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Jeff Lange, Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Week 9:Bye week
(Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images)
Week 10:Sunday Night Football, Nov. 15, at Cincinnati Bengals, 8:20 p.m. ET
(Sam Greene/The Enquirer, Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Week 11:Sunday, Nov. 22, at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET
(Bill Streicher, Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
Week 12:Friday, Nov. 27, vs. Denver Broncos, 3:00 p.m. ET (Black Friday Game)
(Ron Chenoy, Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
Week 13:Sunday Night Football, Dec. 6, vs. Houston Texans, 8:20 p.m. ET
(Charles LeClaire, Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
Week 14:Monday Night Football, Dec. 14, at Jacksonville Jaguars, 8:15 p.m. ET
(Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
Week 15:Sunday, Dec. 20, vs. Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Charles LeClaire, Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
Week 16:TBD, vs. Carolina Panthers, TBD
(Allison Lawhon, Imagn Images)
Week 17:Sunday, Jan. 3, at Tennessee Titans, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Philip G. Pavely, Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports)
Week 18:TBD, at Baltimore Ravens, TBD
(Charles LeClaire, Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
1/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 1:Sunday, Sept. 13, vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Brett Davis, Brett Davis-Imagn Images)
1/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 1:Sunday, Sept. 13, vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Brett Davis, Brett Davis-Imagn Images)
2/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 2:Sunday, Sept. 20, at New England Patriots, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Brian Fluharty, Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images)
3/18
Steelers experimenting with new position for massive tight end Darnell Washington
Week 3:Sunday, Sept. 27, vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Charles LeClaire, Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
4/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 4:Thursday Night Football, Oct. 1, at Cleveland Browns, 8:15 p.m. ET
(Justin K. Aller, Getty Images)
5/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 5:Sunday, Oct. 11, vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Justin K. Aller, Getty Images)
6/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 6:Sunday, Oct. 18, at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Barry Reeger, Barry Reeger-Imagn Images)
7/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 7:Sunday, Oct. 25, at New Orleans Saints, 9:30 a.m. ET (Paris)
(SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network, SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network)
8/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 8:Sunday, Nov. 1, vs. Cleveland Browns, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Jeff Lange, Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
9/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 9:Bye week
(Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images)
10/18
Takeaways from the Steelers 2026 regular-season schedule release
Week 10:Sunday Night Football, Nov. 15, at Cincinnati Bengals, 8:20 p.m. ET
(Sam Greene/The Enquirer, Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
11/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 11:Sunday, Nov. 22, at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET
(Bill Streicher, Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
12/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 12:Friday, Nov. 27, vs. Denver Broncos, 3:00 p.m. ET (Black Friday Game)
(Ron Chenoy, Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
13/18
Former Steelers linebacker returns to Pittsburgh after UFL breakout
Week 13:Sunday Night Football, Dec. 6, vs. Houston Texans, 8:20 p.m. ET
(Charles LeClaire, Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
14/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 14:Monday Night Football, Dec. 14, at Jacksonville Jaguars, 8:15 p.m. ET
(Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
15/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 15:Sunday, Dec. 20, vs. Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Charles LeClaire, Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
16/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 16:TBD, vs. Carolina Panthers, TBD
(Allison Lawhon, Imagn Images)
17/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 17:Sunday, Jan. 3, at Tennessee Titans, 1:00 p.m. ET
(Philip G. Pavely, Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports)
18/18
Steelers' 2026 schedule revealed: Opponents, dates, primetime games
Week 18:TBD, at Baltimore Ravens, TBD
(Charles LeClaire, Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
Career with the Steelers
McRee, who caught 97 career passes for 1,154 yards and seven touchdowns as a USC Trojan (2021-2025), signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent following the 2026 NFL Draft. He's had an overall solid training camp with Pittsburgh but faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster.
What's next in 2026?
McRee is currently listed as the co-TE5 along with Lance Mason, behind Jaheim Bell, Robert Tonyan, Darnell Washington, and Pat Freiermuth. Pittsburgh is highly unlikely to bring more than four tight ends onto the 53-man squad, so unless McRee can leapfrog Bell, a more realistic outcome is signing with the Steelers' practice squad.
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