The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into the 15th week of the 2023 which will be their first of back-to-back Saturday games. Coming off a mini bye, the Steelers have most of their players who could have been available for this game ready to go.

The rules in the 2023 season when it comes to the players active on game day have been carried over from the last three seasons with one additional caveat. As long as a team has eight offensive linemen who will be dressing for the game, they could have 48 players on their active roster rather than the 46 in past years. If the Steelers elevate any players from their practice squad, their inactive list would increase by the same number of players. The one change this season is one quarterback on the inactive list can be designated as the “third quarterback” and will be in uniform, but they can only enter if the other two quarterbacks are injured. The player must be on the 53-man roster and will be designated when the inactive list is released 90 minutes prior to kickoff.

With the Steelers having until 4 PM Friday (at least that is the deadline to the best of my knowledge) to make any roster moves or practice squad elevations, the exact number for the list is subject to change. While there could be an elevation from the practice squad or even a roster move, there is no guarantee there will be a move for Week 15. Because of these potential moves, they will ultimately determine the number of players who will be inactive.

Game Status

OUT:

QB Kenny Pickett (ankle)

QUESTIONABLE:

OL Isaac Seumalo (shoulder)

Note: Alex Highsmith was originally listed as questionable but was removed from the list when he exited the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Here are the possibilities to end up inactive for the Steelers against the Colts on Saturday:

Definitely:

QB Kenny Pickett– He was ruled out on Monday, so there’s no surprise about Kenny Pickett being here.

Most Likely:

RB Anthony McFarland Jr.– Only being used as a kick returner, Godwin Igwebuike has taken over that job. So McFarland is on the sidelines but is an upgrade over being on the practice squad last season.

CB Darius Rush– James Pierre is back, and Rush did not play a defensive snap last week when he had a helmet. I don’t see the Steelers going in any other direction in the secondary.

Possibly:

OL Isaac Seumalo– He did not practice all week and is questionable for the game. But Seumalo is one of those players who could still play without any practice time.

OT Dylan Cook– This all comes down to if Seumalo dresses or not. If he does, it will be Cook inactive yet again.

DL DeMarvin Leal– I actually predicted Leal to be inactive last week so I wasn’t shocked when he was. His role has really diminished as the season has gone on. The only question is if the Steelers will do it again.

DL Isaiahh Loudermilk– If you’re looking for another player to have inactive instead of Leal, Loudermilk is the next likely candidate. He played only 10 snaps last week and did not play well.

Unlikely:

DL Armon Watts– He’s been coming up big for the Steelers doing the dirty work on the defensive line. Although he was inactive earlier in the season, Watts is just better than other guys the Steelers have.

LB Markus Golden– He was inactive last week which was a surprise, and it almost came back to bite the Steelers. I’m going out on a limb to say they know better than to do it again this week.

Projected Inactive List:

1. Kenny Pickett
2. Anthony McFarland Jr.
3. Dylan Cook
4. Darius Rush
5. DeMarvin Leal

Although it could happen, I don’t see a need for the Steelers to activate a player from the practice squad this week so I think these are the five guys. Kenny Pickett is a given, and Anthony McFarland and Darius Rush are close. Yes, the Steelers could go in a different direction, I just don’t think they will.

The offensive line really comes down to Isaac Seumalo. I didn’t think he would play last week but he did. For the same reason I’m going to have him active this week and we’ll see what happens. That’s why it’s Dylan Cook on the list.

I really wanted to put Isaiahh Loudermilk as inactive just because it would be something different. I just don’t know that the Steelers would do it. So I’m going to go with the familiar name even if it was only one game and say it’s DeMarvin Leal. I just really hope the Steelers don’t dress an extra defensive lineman and make the mistake of having Markus Golden inactive.

As always, feel free to list your projected inactives in the comments below.