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 2026 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with two players each day between June 13 and July 28. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.
ILB MALIK HARRISON
Experience/age: sixth season, 28
Contract status: $6.79 million cap hit in 2026, after which scheduled for unrestricted free agency
The past: A third-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, Harrison appeared in 76 of a possible 84 regular-season games over his first five pro seasons. He started 34 of those, including at least five each season. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, Harrison per Pro Football Focus charting spent almost as many defensive snaps over his Ravens tenure lined up on the defensive line as he did as an in-the-box linebacker.
After signing a one-year deal to stay with Baltimore as free agency began in 2024, Harrison that season set career highs in tackles (46), solo tackles (30), sacks (two) and tackles for loss (three). Coming off that, a year later in free agency Harrison joined the rival Steelers on a two-year, $10 million contract. That seemed like a lot of money for a team that already had established starting-caliber players at inside linebacker in Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson. But the Steelers viewed Harrison as a run-stuffer, a fine complement to the smaller Queen and Wilson.
Indeed, Harrison played exclusively inside linebacker in 2025 for the Steelers. A knee injury suffered during the opener, though, limited him to 11 games. Harrison finished with 41 tackles (24 solo, two for loss). He started nine of the 11 games he played — in addition to the Steelers’ playoff loss — and played in 40% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps in the games he did play.
2026 outlook: Harrison was wearing a new number for organized team activities and minicamp. But will he get to don that No. 39 (he was No. 50 last season) for the games that count? There is presumably no guarantee Harrison has a spot on the active roster locked up. Not at that salary-cap figure, at least. The Steelers can save $4.75 million of both real cash and cap space if they release Harrison.
That doesn’t mean they are eager to do so, however. If they were, after all, Harrison already would have been cut. And the organization did nothing over the offseason in terms of replacing Harrison. The Steelers signed no free-agent inside linebackers (other than re-signing one of their own, Cole Holcomb) and did not spend any of their 10 draft picks on one either.
Was that a tacit endorsement of Harrison, Wilson and Queen? Or are the Steelers still keeping a keen eye on the waiver wire and camp roster moves to see if an upgrade can come externally? Harrison was OK in his first season as a Steeler, even if he didn’t do anything to particularly stand out.