As we’ve done in previous years, we’re taking a look at Pittsburgh Steelers on Reserve/Future contracts for the 2026 offseason, as well as what we can expect from them during training camp and (hopefully) into the regular season. Today, an outlook on WR/RB Max Hurleman.
Max Hurleman/WR -RB Notre Dame: 5107, 200 pounds
Where in the world is Max Hurleman? He’s in Pittsburgh, but the position he’ll play seems up for debate. That’s the story of Hurleman’s football career, bouncing from position to position but finding ways to excel at them all.
In college, Hurleman did everything. At Colgate, he entered as a running but switched to wide receiver mid-way through. Transferring up to Notre Dame for the 2024 season, he flipped not just positions but sides to cornerback. Seeing just 62 defensive snaps, his primary role was special teams. He was the Fighting Irish’s punt returner and logged over 250 total snaps on football’s third unit. Not quite the next Rudy but a fulfilling underdog story.
He finished the year averaging a modest six yards on 16 punts with 13 total tackles. Predictably, it wasn’t enough to get drafted or even sign in the UDFA pool. Pittsburgh invited him to rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. Despite long odds to make the offseason roster, Hurleman impressed. Again, he played every position and showed the football intelligence and conditioning to hold his own, earning a contract. He was one of just two rookies to do so and outlasted the other, OT Gareth Warren.
Officially, the Steelers announced Hurleman as a running back. During training camp, he saw near-exclusive action at wide receiver. Slowly making plays as the summer wore on, he drew buzz with a strong preseason debut. A touchdown – and backflip – in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“If you play the game right, you’re gonna be rewarded,” WR Ben Skowronek said in praise of Hurleman after the opener. “He plays the game right. There’s some people that don’t play hard, and it sticks out. Like, every single play, Max was going 110 percent, giving his all-out effort. Probably everybody on the team noticed it. And how I play, I just respect that.”
Hurleman also showed value on special teams and did enough to stick to the team’s practice squad. He never quite reached “camp darling” status, but our post-camp evaluation was positive to earn a B-grade.
“In preseason action, he saw extensive work as a gunner and made a tackle late in the Jacksonville opener to preserve a great net-yardage punt. Against Tampa Bay, he influenced the returner’s inability to get under the ball and recovered the fumble after the Bucs’ returner muffed his attempted pickup.
Hurleman is a willing blocker who plays with effort, even if execution isn’t always there.”
Unlike fellow UDFA Ke’Shawn Williams, whose punt return value became an asset after Calvin Austin III’s injury, Hurleman spent the entire year there.
Pittsburgh re-signed him to a Reserve/Futures contract after the season. Still called a running back, is that a sign a position switch is coming? Or is it simply just a carryover from his initial announcement never bothered to be changed? Last camp, he received just one carry and promptly fumbled it away. Receiver seems like his best position and the one he’s spent most time focusing on in training camp.
Like most players fighting to stick, Hurleman’s real value will come on special teams. He should continue to work in punt return lines, and the spot could be open should Austin walk in free agency. Hurleman is capable of wearing a lot of hats. That’s his career arc. Standing out in one area is his key to take the next step.
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