The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into the 16th week of the 2023 which will be their final home game. Coming off a Saturday game, the Steelers find themselves down a lot of safeties even worse than the inside linebacker position.

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 is likely to be an elevation or two from the practice squad as well as a couple moves to fill up the 53-man roster, the Steelers are definitely going to be making moves on Friday. Because of these potential moves, they will ultimately determine the number of players who will be inactive.

Game Status

OUT:

QB Kenny Pickett (ankle)
S Trenton Thompson (neck)
S Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee)

QUESTIONABLE:

S Elijah Riley (ankle)

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

Definitely:

QB Kenny Pickett– Although it looked possible Pickett could maybe come back this week, the likelihood just wasn’t there and he will look to Week 17 to see if he can make it back.

S Trenton Thompson– Although he came back to finish the game, Thompson couldn’t practice at all this week and he’s out for a game where he could have seen a lot of playing time.

S Minkah Fitzpatrick– It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the Steelers could put Fitzpatrick on IR, or he could be back next week. We just don’t know.

Most Likely:

OT Dylan Cook– No offensive linemen have an injury status so Cook is an obvious choice.

CB Darius Rush– While there is a chance Rush could get a helmet if Peterson is going to be playing mainly and safety, the numbers still aren’t in his favor.

Possibly:

DL DeMarvin Leal– He was active last week after being inactive the week before, so it’s really a 50–50 choice with this projection.

DL Isaiahh Loudermilk– The other player along with Leal who could be inactive as he was out last week, I’m not sure what the Steelers are thinking between the two players.

LB Blake Martinez– This spot likely comes down to if the Steelers elevate Myles Jack as this might be two dogs for one bone.

LB Mykal Walker– If the Steelers are giving somebody else a chance at the position like Martinez or Jack, it might be that Walker has to sit.

Unlikely:

S Elijah Riley– He is still on IR and not on the 53-man roster, so it would make no sense for Riley to be inactive. He either stays off the roster or will play.

Projected Inactive List:

1. Kenny Pickett
2. Trenton Thompson
3. Minkah Fitzpatrick
4. Dylan Cook
5. Darius Rush
6. Isaiahh Loudermilk
7. Blake Martinez*

This is a very tricky situation with the Steelers inactive list because of all the questions about the roster. Letting go of Anthony McFarland on Thursday dropped the Steelers roster to 52 players, and Damontae Kazee should be placed on the Reserve/Suspended list to free up a spot. The two roster spots are likely to be taken by Elijah Riley and Kyron Johnson. The Steelers used all the elevations for Johnson the last three weeks and he is still on the 53-man roster according to Steelers.com even though he reverted back to the practice squad following last Saturday’s game.

So now we have an idea who the Steelers will probably put on the roster, the next question comes to practice squad elevations. Eric Rowe should be a definite as he is likely to get the start at safety. The other one comes down to if Myles Jack will be elevated or if the Steelers will go with Blake Martinez. I doubt they have enough space for both players, so if you see Jack brought up then Martinez is likely to land on the inactive list. This is why I have his name listed seventh.

If the Steelers make another roster move, I can’t rule out the potential of Minkah Fitzpatrick going on IR. I hope it doesn’t happen, but it is at least a possibility.

Based on the moves that I think the Steelers will make, these are the 6/7 players I think will be inactive. I’m not very confident in Rush or Loudermilk. While the Steelers will have a defensive lineman inactive because I don’t see how they could get by without it, it isn’t set in stone which player it will be. Also, I’d like to find a way for Rush to get a helmet this week if Peterson is going to be more of a safety, but I don’t see where they have the space from a numbers standpoint from anywhere else. While it could be somebody like Mykal Walker and then Rush is active, I am hoping the Steelers have an extra person at inside linebacker than what they had last week.

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