The Pittsburgh Steelers are now less than 90 minutes away from kickoff in their game Week 17 matchup in Seattle. Coming off a big divisional win last Saturday, the Steelers are looking to stay in the AFC playoff race.

As is always the case, 90 minutes before kickoff is when teams must announce their inactive list for the upcoming game. With 48 players active for each team, the number of players on the inactive list depends on if a team makes any practice squad elevations. With the Steelers elevating two practice squad players yesterday and having 53 players on the roster, they have seven inactives as the Seahawks have seven players on their inactive list as well.

New to the 2023 season is a modified return of the “third quarterback rule.” Every NFL team who has a third quarterback on their 53-man roster will include him on their inactive list, but he is designated as a third quarterback and is therefore in uniform in case of injury to the two players ahead of him on the depth chart. But if one of the players is deemed healthy enough to return, the third quarterback goes back to their role on the sideline. For the fourth time this season, the Steelers have not used this option.

Here are the seven players inactive for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Week 17 matchup against the Seahawks according to Steelers.com.

Steelers Inactives

No. 8 QB Kenny Pickett
No. 17 S Trenton Thompson
No. 21 CB Darius Rush
No. 39 S Minkah Fitzpatrick
No. 50 LB Elandon Roberts
No. 60 T Dylan Cook
No. 98 DE DeMarvin Leal

While many were looking to see if Kenny Pickett would dress as the backup quarterback or even as the third emergency QB, he is on the inactive list and does NOT carry the third quarterback designation. Joining Pickett on the list is the typical offensive lineman position as Dylan Cook has been on the list for all but two games this season.

Two players ruled out again for this game were safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Trenton Thompson who are both obviously on the list. With so many safeties out for the game, the Steelers called up Eric Rowe from the practice squad. With an additional player in the secondary, cornerback Darius Rush once again is on the inactive list.

Another player who was ruled out on Friday is linebacker Elandon Roberts. Since Roberts is out, Blake Martinez is active for his second game in a Steelers uniform.

With the return on Montravius Adams on the defensive line two games ago, the Steelers went with DeMarvin Leal on the inactive list the first time and Isaiahh Loudermilk last week. For Week 17, it’s DeMarvin Leal for the second-straight week.

As for the Seahawks inactive list, it can be seen below courtesy of Steelers.com. As reported earlier today, wide receiver DK Metcalf and running back Kenneth Walker.

Seahawks Inactives

No. 25 RB Kenny McIntosh
No. 28 CB Kelvin Joseph
No. 56 LB Jordyn Brooks
No. 66 T McClendon Curtis
No. 70 T Jason Peters
No. 79 T Raiqwon O’Neal
No. 97 DE Mario Edwards