The Pittsburgh Steelers announced a string of roster moves on August 1. On the official website, the published headline read: ‘Camp roster moves: Steelers add to d-line’. And the list had the signing of defensive lineman Kyler Baugh. It was standard fare, transactional, orderly, cleanly packaged on the team website. Baugh, like many others before him, got the official stamp of approval, a brief bio, and a sentence or two of career context.
What fans didn’t find in that press release, however, was any mention of Breiden Fehoko. A returning nose tackle who had quietly logged two years on the Steelers’ practice squad. Fehoko had re-signed too. He just didn’t wait around for the team to say it.
Instead, Fehoko did what the team didn’t… He made the announcement himself. In a post to X, he delivered the news in a sentence. “Non-earth shattering news: I’m signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.” No hashtags, no edits, no polished photo shoot. Just a man with a phone and a sense of humor. The moment went viral in part because it didn’t feel engineered.
But just as fans started to move on, Fehoko added something else…an all-time follow-up. “I only signed back for @JioioS pizza and them fire ass wings at Sharkys,” he wrote, breaking the unwritten rule of sports PR: Never let the food do the talking. Except, in this case, the food was the headline. In one line, Fehoko managed to turn a fringe roster move into a relatable, city-rooted moment. Because while other players were scripting declarations about brotherhood and destiny, he was just craving Sharky’s wings. And, in a way, that felt more ‘Burgh than anything the team could’ve tweeted.
I only signed back for @JioioS pizza and them fire ass wings at Sharkys.
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) August 1, 2025
That’s the thing about Fehoko…he’s not pretending to be more than he is. He’s a 300-pound nose tackle fighting for a roster spot, offering the kind of self-awareness that’s all but extinct in the era of carefully managed brands. His path won’t get the Sunday night montage. But if camp is about setting tone, about showing up and doing the work no matter how quiet the spotlight, Fehoko’s presence matters. He made his return known not through a press release, but with personality. The Steelers didn’t post it. He lived it.
Despite the three seasons with the Chargers, Fehoko had zero sacks. He signed with Pittsburgh in April 2023, beating out cuts in camp but barely seeing the field. He bounced between the practice squad and injured reserve after a pec tear in 2024, never logging a game snap for the Steelers in the regular-season action. In a candid July 2025 interview, Fehoko revealed he dropped from 327 to 285 pounds in the offseason. Breiden Fehoko is intent on redefining his body and his opportunities, with dreams of adding efficient muscle back to reach 290 lb.
But Fehoko wasn’t the only storyline to emerge from the Pitts. His light-hearted signing came amid a whirlwind of roster shakeups, surprise releases, and training camp tension that revealed just how rapidly the Steelers’ depth chart is evolving.
Mike Tomlin and the Steelers aim for major impact, remaining under the radar
In Latrobe, the Steelers’ first fully padded practice didn’t feel like a tune-up. It felt like a pressure cooker. The day before, things had already boiled over between newcomers Jonnu Smith and Juan Thornhill. The two collided: on the field and off it. Not once, but twice. Teammates had to break it up both times. The tension was real, and not just in the drills.
Roster moves hit fast. Mike Tomlin stayed calm, watching closely and making quiet but pointed changes. Veteran return man Cordarrelle Patterson was cut, likely ending his 12-year, 183-game career with nine return touchdowns. Injuries cleared more space. Montana Lemonious-Craig and Jeremiah Moon were waived and placed on IR. In came Lew Nichols III, tight end Kevin Foelsch, and DT Domenique Davis—each fighting for a late spot on the depth chart.
Furthermore, Jacob Slade was waived/injured after suffering a knee injury during practice; in response, Kyler Baugh, a promising prospect from the UFL’s Battlehawks, was signed to bolster depth at defensive tackle alongside newly re‑signed Fehoko. The intensity wasn’t just in boardroom decisions, and head coach Mike Tomlin, never one to sugarcoat discipline, made his stance clear amid the friction: “This is a football team we’re putting together, but it’s also an opportunity to learn how to compete and compete the right way and be professional.”
While Fehoko’s return may have stolen the spotlight for its humor, the real story at Steelers camp is the intensity behind the scenes. From unexpected veteran cuts to rising camp tempers, Mike Tomlin’s squad is being sculpted under pressure. These roster moves aren’t just transactions; they’re signals of a franchise that’s evolving fast, demanding physicality, professionalism, and purpose from every name on the depth chart. If the camp battles are any indication, Pittsburgh isn’t just chasing wins; they’re chasing a whole new identity.
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