The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the New Orleans Saints at home on Sunday afternoon in their ninth game of the 2022 regular season 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 2022 season and below is my best guess as to which players won’t be given helmets Sunday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium against the Saints.
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 elevate up to two players from their practice squads to their active roster for gamedays. Team’s also can dress up to 48 players for games if eight offensive linemen are dressed.
QB Mason Rudolph – The trade deadline has come and gone and Rudolph still remains with the Steelers. He has yet to be active through the first eight games of the 2022 regular season and that is not a bit surprising as he has been the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart behind starter Kenny Pickett and backup Mitch Trubisky. Rudolph should be inactive for a ninth consecutive time on Sunday against the Saints with both quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart still fully healthy. Barring an injury happening moving forward, Rudolph is likely to remain on the inactive list the remainder of the season.
G Kendrick Green – The Steelers have yet to have Green active for a game this season and that’s not a bit surprising. The team has dressed eight of their nine total offensive linemen in their first eight games of the 2022 regular season and Green has been the odd one out in that position group for all those contests. That’s not likely to change on Sunday afternoon against the Saints so you can expect Green to once again be one of the team’s inactive players. With Jesse Davis essentially serving as the backup swing guard so far this season and with Trent Scott serving as the top swing tackle, Green has pretty much an afterthought at this point. Barring any injuries on the offensive line going forward, expect Green to continue to be inactive for several more games this season.
DL Isaiahh Loudermilk – Loudermilk figures to return to the inactive list with Larry Ogunjobi healthy and back in the lineup. Perhaps the team has a mild surprise like Tyson Alualu, already benched and not playing well, but we’ll assume the defense is more status quo. Loudermilk had been logging between 20 to 23 snaps in the three games he’s played in this season but one defensive lineman have to get squeezed out and he’s the favorite.
LB Mark Robinson – Robinson has only been active for one game this season, the team’s Week 6 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when essentially every healthy body suited up as the Steelers were rocked by injuries. With Myles Jack healthy enough to play this weekend after missing practice time with a knee injury, Robinson will remain odd man out.
CB Ahkello Witherspoon – A no-brainer here. Witherspoon was ruled out Friday with a hamstring injury that’s lingered since Week 3. William Jackson also won’t play but landed on IR as the team made room for T.J. Watt’s return. It’s been a disappointing year for Witherspoon who has been hurt the majority of the season and has played poorly when he has been in the lineup.
FS Minkah Fitzpatrick – An unexpected piece of bad news that poured cold water on Watt’s return. Fitzpatrick reportedly is suffering from appendicitis and has been ruled out of tomorrow’s game against the Saints. Now it’s just a matter of whether or not he misses multiple games. If Fitzpatrick needs surgery, and we don’t yet know if he does, then he’s likely to miss multiple weeks of action. At least the team is getting back Damontae Kazee, though the dropoff here is still steep.
