The Pittsburgh Steelers are now less than 90 minutes away from their kickoff for Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season. Coming off back-to-back road losses in Philadelphia and Baltimore, the Steelers are back at home to face the 14-1 Chiefs.

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 not elevating any players from the practice squad, their inactive list is five players. As for the Chiefs, they have seven players inactive.

Keep in mind that last season implemented a modified return of the “third quarterback rule.” Every NFL team who has a third quarterback on their 53-man roster may include him on their inactive list, but he can be 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 five players inactive for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17 against the Chiefs according to Steelers.com.

Steelers Inactives

No. 2 QB Justin Fields (3rd QB)
No. 15 WR Ben Skowronek
No. 24 CB Joey Porter Jr.
No. 91 LB Preston Smith
No. 94 DE Dean Lowry

This week, two players had already been ruled out for the Steelers coming into the game in cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and wide receiver Ben Skowronek. With basically no practice time since the last game, and both players being injured during the matchup against the Ravens, there was no time for either player to get back onto the field.

The other player on the injury report for the Steelers was quarterback Justin Fields who was questionable. Fields will be in uniform for the game but lands on the inactive list as the third quarterback.

The Steelers had two healthy scratches for the game this week in outside linebacker Preston Smith and defensive tackle Dean Lowry. For Lowry, he has been on and off the inactive list this season depending on the health of other players. With Larry Ogunjobi returning to the lineup, as well as Montravius Adams returning last week, there wasn’t enough helmets for everyone.

When it comes to Preston Smith, he joined the Steelers at the trade deadline in November and has been active every game since. With so many players healthy, and Smith not known as a big contributor on special teams, the Steelers went with Jeremiah Moon has the fourth outside linebacker instead of Smith.

As for the Chiefs inactive list, it can be seen below. Defensive Tackle Chris Jones is inactive.

Chiefs Inactives

No. 27 DB Chamarri Conner
No. 55 DE Joshua Uche
No. 61 OL C.J. Hanson
No. 70 OL D.J. Humphries
No. 75 T Ethan Driskell
No. 94 DE Malik Herring
No. 95 DL Chris Jones