The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday on the road and if you’re like me, you’re counting down the hours until the game begins. As usual, I will attempt to project the Steelers inactives for every game of the 2020 season and below is my best guess as to which players won’t be given helmets Sunday afternoon against the Browns.
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. Also, the new roster rules make this exercise even harder as team’s can promote up to two players from their practice squads to their active roster on gamedays. Team’s also can dress up to 48 players for games if 8 offensive linemen are dressed.
QB Ben Roethlisberger – The Steelers will start quarterback Mason Rudolph on Sunday against the Browns and he’ll be backed up by Joshua Dobbs, who has been inactive for every game this season. Roethlisberger is being rested for the playoffs and the Steelers officially ruled him out for the game on Friday. Roethlisberger will be inactive for the first time this season on Sunday in Cleveland.
C Maurkice Pouncey – Pouncey usually sits out meaningless games when Roethlisberger does and he’ll on the inactive list on Sunday prior to kickoff against the Browns. The Steelers officially ruled him out for the Sunday game on Saturday. This will make the third game this season that Pouncey has missed as he previously missed two while sidelined on the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 list. J.C. Hassenauer will start at center on Sunday against the Browns.
OLB T.J. Watt – Watt, the NFL’s leader in sacks heading into the final week of the regular season, will be held out of Sundays game against the Browns so he can rest up for the playoffs. The team ruled him out on Saturday. This will mark the first game that Watt has missed since his rookie season. With Watt out, outside linebackers Alex Highsmith, Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, Jayrone Elliott, and Cassius Marsh will get plenty of playing time against the Browns.
DT Cameron Heyward – Like Roethlisberger, Pouncey, and Watt, Heyward is also expected to be on the Sunday inactive list after being officially ruled out for the team’s game against the Browns on Saturday. The Steelers will dress at least five defensive linemen on Sunday in Tyson Alualu, Chris Wormley, Henry Mondeaux, Isaiah Buggs and Carlos Davis. The team might play defensive end Stephon Tuitt some as well.
K Chris Boswell – Boswell started the week off on the team’s injury report as a full participant with a groin issue and went backwards from there. On Friday, Boswell was ruled out for the Sunday game against the Browns and this will mark the third game this season he’s missed. The Steelers elevated practice squad kicker Matthew Wright on Saturday so he will handle the kicking duties on Sunday against the Browns.
S Terrell Edmunds – Edmunds failed to practice all week because of a shoulder injury and it resulted in him being ruled out fir the team’s Sunday game against the Browns on the team’s Friday injury report. This will mark the first game that Edmunds has missed during his NFL career. This will obviously be the first time he’s been on an inactive list.
