The Pittsburgh Steelers Friday injury report for the team’s Week Five home game against the Baltimore Ravens was released earlier in the day and as expected, it included five players being ruled out for the Sunday contest. Two of those five players ruled out are offensive linemen, guard James Daniels and offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. Because of that, we are likely to see an offensive lineman elevated from the practice squad on Saturday.
Why an offensive lineman elevation? Because as things sit right now, the team only has seven healthy offensive linemen that can dress against the Ravens. That’s a problem because they need to dress eight in total if they want 48 total players to be active and available to play on Sunday against the Ravens. Through the first four weeks of the season, the Steelers have dressed eight offensive linemen for every game so there’s no reason to think that won’t be the plan again on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.
Assuming the Steelers do elevate an offensive lineman from their practice squad on Saturday, which one might that ultimately be? Quite honestly, it’s likely to be C/G Ryan McCollum. If you’re scoring at home, the only other options are OT Kellen Diesch and OG Joey Fisher, both of whom have yet to play in a regular season game in their respective NFL careers.
McCollum, who does have previous NFL game experience, is mostly a center and that’s yet another reason why he’s likely to be the elevated offensive lineman on Saturday. The Steelers primary backup center so far this season has been Nate Herbig, but as of Week Four, he’s been the starting right guard with Daniels sidelined by his groin injury.
Should starting center Mason Cole get injured on Sunday, either Herbig or McCollum would take over for him. Quite honestly, it would likely be McCollum so that Herbig doesn’t have to move. Should, however, Herbig get injured on Sunday, Spencer Anderson, who will also dress again on Sunday, would likely take over at right guard as he’s a better option at that spot than McCollum is.
In addition to an offensive lineman likely being elevated from the practice squad on Saturday, we should also see P Brad Wing elevated back up from the practice squad again. The Steelers will need him to punt a second consecutive game because of P Pressley Harvin III being sidelined again with his hamstring injury.
Assuming no players are sent to the Reserve/Injured list on Saturday as part of the team’s transactions, and assuming Wing and an offensive lineman are indeed elevated as part of those moves, the Steelers will need seven total inactives on Sunday. Daniels, Moore, and Harvin should be three of those seven inactive players along with QB Mason Rudolph, TE Pat Freiermuth, and DL DeMarvin Leal. As for the two other inactives, WR Gunner Olszewski might be one of them with RB Godwin Igwebuike a viable candidate to be the other one.
