The Pittsburgh Steelers are now less than 90 minutes away from kickoff in their first of two home games in five days in Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season. Coming off a game where the Steelers put up more offensive yards than they had in the last three seasons, the Steelers are looking to get more points on the scoreboard as the next step in offensive improvement.

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 one practice squad player on Saturday and having 53 players on the roster, they have six inactives as the Cardinals have seven players on their inactive list.

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.

Here are the six players inactive for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Week 13 matchup against the Cardinals according to Steelers.com.

Steelers Inactives

No. 2 QB Mason Rudolph (3rd QB)
No 21. CB Darius Rush
No. 26 RB Anthony McFarland Jr.
No. 40 LB Blake Martinez
No. 57 DT Montravius Adams
No. 60 T Dylan Cook

As is always the case, Mason Rudolph is on the list now for the twelfth time as the Steelers third quarterback and will be in uniform which is technically an upgrade from last season. Joining Rudolph as a regular on the inactive list is tackle Dylan Cook who was a healthy scratch for all but two games this season when the Steelers were dealing with injuries along the offensive line.

The only player given an injury status this week was defensive tackle Montravius Adams even though he practiced fully on Wednesday and Thursday and then only being a limited on Friday. Adams was questionable for week 13 after missing the previous three games with an ankle injury. This week, Adams is inactive yet again.

With Minkah Fitzpatrick returning to action after missing the last four games with a hamstring injury, this leaves the Steelers with too many players in the secondary. For that reason, cornerback Darius Rush returns to the inactive list.

The last two players on the inactive list for the Steelers in Week 13 are running back Anthony McFarland and linebacker Blake Martinez. McFarland was active for two games after he returned from the Reserve/Injured List, but last week, Igwebuike got the helmet after being inactive the previous two weeks. Against the Cardinals, it is Igwebuike who is active again. As for Blake Martinez, he just joined the Steelers a little more than a week ago so the decision was made on Saturday to elevate Kyron Johnson from the practice squad.

As for the Cardinals inactive list, it can be seen below courtesy of Steelers.com.

Cardinals Inactives

No. 0 WR Zach Pascal
No. 14 WR Michael Wilson
No. 24 CB Starling Thomas V
No. 33 CB Antonio Hamilton
No. 71 T Dennis Daley
No. 89 TE Blake Whiteheart