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.

K LAITH MARJAN

Experience/age: Rookie season, 23

Contract status: $890,000 cap hit if he makes the team in 2026

The past: A native of Raleigh, N.C., Marjan initially enrolled at East Carolina and spent three seasons with the Pirates. After a redshirt in 2021, Marjan the following season took over as a kickoff specialist. He served in that role in 2023 before transferring to South Alabama. It was for the Jaguars in 2024 that Marjan became a fulltime placekicker. He earned second-team all-Sun Belt recognition after making 16 of 17 field-goal attempts (his only miss was from beyond 50 yards) and 42 of 44 on extra-point tries.

That success led to a transfer to Kansas, where he connected on a career-best 55-yarder in addition to another successful kick of 50 yards last season. For the Jayhawks, Marlan went 14 for 17 on field goals and a perfect 40 for 40 on extra points.

2026 outlook: Marjan went undrafted this spring (only one kicker — Florida’s Trey Smack — was selected) but had been regarded as one of the top draft-eligible kickers available. He signed with the Steelers soon after the draft ended, receiving a not-insignificant $15,000 bonus.

The Steelers, like most teams, typically carry two kickers throughout training camp and the preseason. On the depth chart, Marjan slots well below Chris Boswell — a 12-year veteran who inked a four-year, $28 million extension in May that tied him as the NFL’s highest-paid kicker. But Boswell is 35 years old, and the Steelers certainly are cognizant of reducing wear-and-tear on his body. Boswell himself has said he takes several months off each offseason in an effort to preserve his strength for when it matters.

Marjan, of course, is well aware of Boswell’s abilities. He surely understands there is zero chance he “beats out” Boswell. But Marjan (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) has an opportunity to show what he can do not only every day in the open practices at Saint Vincent but during preseason games. Maybe he can impress enough to fill in if Boswell suffers an injury — but even if that latter scenario does not happen, Marjan’s resume might lead to another NFL opportunity if he displays a strong and accurate leg this preseason.