After missing the Week Five matchup against the Baltimore Ravens while in concussion protocol, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal moved one step closer to returning to the field Monday, clearing concussion protocol, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
Leal was injured late in the Week Four road loss to the Houston Texans, and then proceeded to not practice all week leading up to the Week Five matchup against the Ravens, leaving the Steelers a bit short-handed in the trenches.
Coming out of the Week Six bye week though, the Steelers continue to get healthy as wide receiver Diontae Johnson and running back Anthony McFarland Jr. had their 21-day practice windows opened to return to the 53-man roster, while Leal cleared concussion protocol, giving the Steelers a boost on the defensive line.
On the season, Leal has played 119 total snaps, playing a key role in helping try and fill the void left by the absence of defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, who is on Injured Reserve recovering from groin surgery after the Week One loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
In those 119 snaps, Leal grades out at a 51.2 overall from Pro Football Focus, including a 52.9 overall as a pass rusher and a 52.8 as a run defender. He has four pressures on the year on 66 pass rush reps with one sack, and has added six run stops for the Steelers, according to Pro Football Focus.
He played a career-high 39 snaps against the Cleveland Browns in Week Two and then played 33 snaps in Week Three on the road against Las Vegas before playing just 21 snaps against Houston before exiting with the injury.
His return in Week Seven against the Los Angeles Rams would be a welcome addition to the defensive line, which had to elevate practice squad nose tackle Breiden Fehoko to the 53-man roster against the Ravens just to round out depth, though Fehoko did not play a snap.
We’ll see what Leal’s status looks like this week throughout practice, but the fact that he cleared concussion protocol should clear a path for him to return to action in Week Seven on the road in Los Angeles.
