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.
FB RILEY NOWAKOWSKI
Experience/age: rookie, 24
Contract status: $995,815 cap hit in 2026, signed through 2029
The past: Nowakowski’s transfer to Indiana put him in the right place at the right time. The sixth-year senior helped the Hoosiers win a national championship last season, an effort that included him rushing 1 yard for a touchdown in the title game victory over Miami. A versatile yet undersized tight end, the 6-foot-2, 250-pounder had 32 receptions, 387 yards and two touchdowns while catching passes from future No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Nowakowski earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from media and third team from coaches in his one year with the Hoosiers. He played his first five seasons in Wisconsin, where he originally enrolled as a walk-on linebacker in 2020.
In all, he played 55 games over six seasons with 26 starts. Used in varying years as a linebacker, fullback or tight end, Nowakowski didn’t catch a pass until his fourth season with the Badgers. He concluded his college career with 50 receptions, 518 yards and three touchdowns.
2026 outlook: The Steelers drafted Nowakowski in the fifth round and immediately designated him as a fullback. He is two inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than ex-Steeler Connor Heyward (6-0, 230), who played a versatile H-back/tight end/fullback role before leaving in via free agency. Despite being a little bigger in size, the rookie ran the 40-yard dash faster, recording a 4.66-second time at the combine compared to Heyward’s 4.72 in 2022.
Nowakowski likely plays more snaps as a traditional fullback than Heyward did. Coach Mike McCarthy said the Steelers’ new offense will include a two-back package reminiscent of the NFL attacks of the 1980s and ‘90s. If so, Nowakowski is the only fullback listed on the roster. He showed position versatility at Indiana. In 2025, he played the majority of his snaps as an in-line tight end (665) but also in the slot (124), lined up wide (54) and in the backfield (26).