With Week 1 of the regular season on the horizon, teams around the NFL are busy preparing for the grueling stretch ahead. The preseason provided front offices with chances to evaluate their respective rosters, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are no different.
Ironically, it’s a pair of former Steelers who are on the move to kick off the week. Per August 25 reports from Ian Rapoport of NFL Media and Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Miami Dolphins are parting ways with running back Aaron Shampklin and cornerback Mike Hilton.
“The Dolphins have begun whittling down their RB room, informing Aaron Shampklin of his release,” Rapoport’s post read.
“Dolphins have informed veteran cornerback Mike Hilton of his release, per his agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey,” Schefter reported.
Former Steelers Mike Hilton & Aaron Shampklin Released by Dolphins: Reports
Steelers fans are likely more familiar with Hilton. The former undrafted free agent got his first big break in Pittsburgh, where he spent four seasons. He made a solid impression during his debut campaign in 2017, when he played in all 16 regular-season games and recorded 64 tackles (10 for loss), 6 pass breakups and 2 interceptions.
Hilton played for the Steelers from 2017-2021, recording a whopping 237 tackles and 7 interceptions with the team. After that, he stayed in the AFC North and played with the Cincinnati Bengals for the next four seasons. Hilton established himself as a quality piece in the secondary, providing versatile coverage and willing run defense.
Hilton spent months on the open market earlier this year. His free agency stint came to a close when he signed with the Dolphins in July. Now, he’s back in the pool as a vested veteran who isn’t subject to waivers.
Shampklin has more recent experience on the Steelers. He first signed with the organization on a reserve/futures deal last January. The former Harvard halfback appeared in three regular-season games this past season, recording 6 carries for 17 yards. In all, he logged 28 offensive snaps and played another 13 on special teams.
Shampklin was released by Pittsburgh back in May.
Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike Tomlin on State of the Union After Preseason
Despite going 2-1 in the preseason, the Steelers know their work is far from finished. Boasting championship hopes for the 2025-26 campaign, head coach Mike Tomlin is taking everything in stride.
Speaking to the media on August 23, Tomlin assessed where his team is at with Week 1 approaching.
“A really good catch-all day for us here today,” Tomlin said. “We looked at the film from our last performance, but not with the lens that we looked at previous games. Really, it’s time for us to move on, but there are some lessons to be learned. Ball search, ball security lessons, tight red zone lessons, possession/down lessons, penalty lessons certainly. Have a lot of meat on the penalty bone, room for improvement in that space, but it’s just good to get back out here. We’ve got a good couple of days ahead of us, including today, working on things such as football conditioning, communication, verbal and nonverbal skills relative to our positions. The situational ball is kind of our focus.”
The biggest development of the week is August 26’s league-mandated deadline. By 4:00 p.m. ET, all teams’ rosters must be down from 90 men to a final 53-player list. That will see over a thousand players hit either free agency or the waiver wire. Clubs can then form 16-man practice squads as an extension of the roster.
After that, Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan lock all the way in on the season opener against the New York Jets.
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