The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2026 rookie class took the field on Friday as part of rookie minicamp, which stretches over the course of the weekend. In doing so, each rookie got a chance to sport their new number, with Kaden Wetjen getting 42. Those digits didn’t impress many Steelers fans at first.
It didn’t seem to sit well with Wetjen, either. However, Wetjen plans for a change in the near future. In a lighthearted post to his Instagram on Friday, Wetjen mentioned he’ll look to pick a new number for the actual season.
“Don’t worry folks, we will have a new number for the szn Fs [for sure],” Wetjen wrote in an Instagram story Friday.
Wetjen’s 42 was most recently assigned to James Pierre, who sported the number for the black and gold last year. However, it’s certainly not rare for these numbers to change, and Wetjen may not be the only Steeler looking to change their digits once the actual season rolls around. Germie Bernard and Drew Allar, currently sporting numbers 17 and 16, might also look to change theirs.
Wetjen did wear number 21 at Iowa, so that could be one on his radar. Chuck Clark most recently wore that number for the Steelers during the 2025 season. He left for Detroit this offseason, but that number is currently occupied on the Steelers’ roster by Travis Homer, so Wetjen may be out of luck in that regard.
Whichever number he ends up picking, it might feel a little better than 42. As a kick returner, who could impact the offense as a receiver, those digits aren’t common for the type of role he’ll be serving. And of course, once rosters start to trim down, more of those numbers will become available.
It should be an interesting rookie year for Wetjen. He’ll fill a big need as a kick returner, a spot the Steelers desperately needed help at. He didn’t get much of a chance offensively at Iowa, but Wetjen was very impressive as a route runner at the Shrine Bowl. He doesn’t seem in store for a large role in that regard just yet, but Pittsburgh could use him in some gadget plays offensively as well.
Compared to most of the Steelers rookie class, Wetjen feels like a lock to make the 53-man roster. But Steelers fans shouldn’t rush to buy his jersey just yet, as Wetjen has his eyes on a different number once the season rolls around.
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