The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night at home and if you’re like me, you’re counting down the hours until the game begins. As usual, I will attempt to project the seven inactives for every Steelers game of the 2018 season and below is my best guess as to which seven players won’t be given helmets Sunday night at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
Game inactives are officially announced 90 minutes before kickoff, so make sure you check back at that time to see the names of the players for both teams who will be sitting the game out.
Mason Rudolph – Rudolph has been on the Steelers inactive list the first three games and the rookie third-round draft pick is expected to be on it again Sunday night against the Ravens. As has been the case in the first three games, Joshua Dobbs will likely serve as the backup to starter Ben Roethlisberger against Baltimore.
Morgan Burnett – Burnett once again ended the week listed as doubtful on the Steelers official injury report and he failed to practice on Friday. Burnett is dealing with a groin injury that forced him to miss the team’s Week 3 game in addition to some preseason and training camp time. In all likelihood, Burnett will be inactive Sunday night against the Ravens and that means rookie safety Terrell Edmunds is likely to start once again in his place.
Mike Hilton – A hyperextended elbow suffered in the second half of the Steelers Week 3 Monday night game resulted in Hilton missing a lot of practice this past week. He ended the week listed as doubtful on the Steelers depth chart and that means he’s very unlikely to play Sunday night against the Ravens. With Hilton likely to be out Sunday night, second year cornerback Cameron Sutton will likely start in his place as the team’s nickel defender.
Justin Hunter – Hunter will have problems getting a helmet on gamedays moving forward into the season if the Steelers wide receivers ahead of him on the depth chart all remain healthy. Rookie wide receiver James Washington overtook Hunter on the depth chart in Week 2. Hunter not being a special teams asset also hurts his weekly cause when it comes to him getting a helmet.
L.T. Walton – After dressing for the Steelers Week 2 game because of an injury to defensive end Tyson Alualu, Walton returned to the inactive list in Week 3. Like Hunter, Walton will find it tough to get a helmet on gamedays moving forward if the players ahead of him on the defensive line depth chart all remain healthy.
Zach Banner – With starting tackle Marcus Gilbert scheduled to return to action Sunday night after missing the team’s Week 3 Monday night game with a hamstring injury you can probably count on Banner going back to the inactive list against the Ravens. Banner dressed for the first time this past Monday night but did not see any action on offense.
Matt Feiler – the Steelers have an interesting decision to make when it comes to their final inactive player Sunday night. With two offensive linemen, Gilbert and guard David DeCastro, returning this weekend from time off due to injuries, there’s a good chance that Feiler will go back to being on the inactive list after dressing for the last two games. If indeed Feiler is the seventh inactive Sunday night, it should result in rookie safety Marcus Allen dressing for the first time this season so that he can help on special teams being that Hilton is likely to be inactive.
