Steelers decide to keep extra ILB active to help defense

The Pittsburgh Steelers have posted their inactive for their Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. With four players already sidelined with injury, two players were released from the practice squad on Saturday to help cover the loss. With seven players needed to complete the roster instead of five like the last two weeks, there are three healthy scratches. The full list of inactive Steelers is courtesy of Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Unlike last week, the Steelers have no injured players who were in doubt for Sunday’s game. With TJ Watt demoted on Saturday, the Steelers have four players who will miss this game due to injury. With Watt and Alex Highsmith out of the outside linebacker roster due to groin injuries, the Steelers raised Derrek Tuszka from the practice squad. Still, the Steelers only have three players available in the position where Tuszka is expected to support Melvin Ingram and Jamir Jones.

The other two players missing the game due to injury are defensive tackle Carlos Davis and wide receiver Diontae Johnson, both with knee injuries. Davis missed last week’s game against the Raiders while Johnson was injured in the last game of the game. In order for the Steelers to have five wide receivers for Sunday, Cody White was raised from the practice squad.

With Ben Roethlisberger battling a chest injury throughout the week, there was a chance Dwayne Haskins might have been active this week. But with Roethlisberger having no injury status and leading the Steelers offensive squad, Haskins is out for the third straight week with offensive lineman Rashaad Coward.

For the last place on the inactive roster, the Steelers have cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon who was inactive for the Steelers Week 1 game against the Bills. After getting a helmet last week due to Joe Haden’s injury, Witherspoon is back on the inactive list as the Steelers decided to go with their six inside linebackers. So after dressing five inside linebackers each of the first two weeks of the season while Robert Spillane and Devin Bush each missed a week due to injury, Buddy Johnson still gets a helmet even though it has been speculated that he might be the strange man in the position.

As for the inactive Bengals, they can be seen below.