The Pittsburgh Steelers have sent two players to injured reserve today, shutting down their seasons. DE Cameron Heyward and WR Markus Wheaton were place don IR, the team announced minutes ago.
Bud Dupree has officially been activated to the 53 man roster while Daryl Richardson was called up from the practice squad.
Heyward’s move was anticipated by everyone ever since he took to Instagram to announce his season was over. He suffered a torn left pectoral early in last Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He finishes the year with three sacks, all coming against the Kansas City Chiefs. He will be replaced by a combination of Javon Hargrave and Ricardo Mathews.
Wheaton dealt with a recurring shoulder issue throughout the entire season. He recently re-injured it and now his season comes to an end. This also certainly means the end of his Steelers’ career. He’ll be a free agent in the offseason and it doesn’t seem likely the team will bring him back.
If his career is over, he’ll finish with 107 receptions for 1508 yards and eight touchdowns.
Eli Rogers will be the starting slot receiver for the remainder of the year.
Dupree is back on the 53 man roster after missing the first nine games with a sports hernia. It’s unclear if he will start or how many snaps he will play tomorrow though like Ladarius Green, it is reasonable to assume he’ll be limited. He’ll look to revive a broken pass rush where no outside linebacker has even three sacks this season.
Richardson will provide running back depth with DeAngelo Williams still on the mend from minor knee surgery. He was on the 53 mn roster during Le’Veon Bell’s suspension, receiving two carries and playing select snaps on special teams. He gets the nod over Karlos Williams, who may still not fully be in prime football shape.
