The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Baltimore Ravens on the road on Saturday afternoon, and it is their 17th 2023 regular-season game. If you’re like me, you’re counting down the hours until the 2023 regular season finale begins. As usual, I will attempt to project the Steelers’ inactives for every game of the 2023 season. Below is my best guess as to which players won’t be given helmets against the Ravens on Saturday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
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 newer roster rules make this exercise even harder, as teams can elevate up to two players from their practice squads to their active roster for gamedays. Teams also can dress up to 48 players for games if eight offensive linemen are dressing. The emergency quarterback rule is also back in place for the 2023 season.
QB Mitch Trubisky – With QB Kenny Pickett expected to return from his ankle injury on Saturday, he should be the Week 18 backup to starter Mason Rudolph. With Pickett back and the second spot, you can probably expect Mitch Trubisky to be the inactive quarterback on Saturday against the Ravens. Additionally, expect Trubisky to dress and receive the emergency quarterback designation on the inactive list. This will mark the first time this season that Trubisky has been on the team’s inactive list.
OT Dylan Cook – For most of this season, the Steelers have had Cook on their inactive list for games and that should be the case once again on Saturday against the Ravens. Cook has only dressed for one game so far this season, and that was only due to other injuries on the Steelers offensive line. The Steelers have been rolling with rookie offensive lineman Spencer Anderson as an active player over Cook this season, and there’s no reason to think that won’t be the case again on Saturday against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
CB Darius Rush – Rush returned to the inactive list for the last several weeks and that wasn’t overly surprising. Barring a surprise, it’s hard to imagine Rush dressing on Saturday against the Ravens, Rush has seen action in just three games this season with his last playing time coming in Week 14. In those three games, the rookie cornerback played a total of 39 defensive snaps and 20 others on special teams. In short, look for Rush to be on the inactive list for a fourth consecutive game on Saturday.
ILB Blake Martinez – With it looking good for ILB Elandon Roberts to return from his pectoral injury on Saturday against the Ravens, such an event should lead to Martinez returning to the inactive list. While Martinez was active for the week 17 road game, he did not see any playing time in that contest. He was mainly an emergency option on both defense and special teams. Martinez has dressed for just two games since joining the Steelers and that has led to him logging just 26 total defensive snaps. The only way he likely dresses on Saturday against the Ravens would be if Roberts doesn’t.
S Trenton Thompson – It’s been a while since Thompson has dressed for a game and that is due to him suffering a stinger injury in Week 15, which was officially labeled as a neck issue. While Thompson did enter Friday listed as questionable on the Steelers’ Week 18 injury report, I have a feeling he might be held out of Saturday’s contest against the Ravens due to a numbers reason and especially with S Eric Rowe being elevated from the practice squad again on Friday afternoon. The Steelers will need to have seven players on their Saturday inactive list and with at least one safety likely to be included in that group, I think Thompson could draw the short stick and especially if Minkah Fitzpatrick returns from his knee injury for this contest.
DE DeMarvin Leal – The Steelers are once again likely to have at least one defensive lineman inactive on Saturday against the Ravens, and if indeed that’s the case, it should be either Leal or Isaiahh Loudermilk. As of late, Loudermilk has been getting the helmet over Leal. Could that change on Saturday? Sure, there’s a chance, but my money is on it not changing course.
OLB Markus Golden – This last inactive prediction is an extremely tough one this week and especially if both Roberts and Fitzpatrick return to action on Saturday against the Ravens. First, and as previously mentioned, the Steelers will need seven inactive players for this contest. This last selection figures to be a defensive player and one that doesn’t hold much special teams value. Immediately, that seems to narrow the choices down to two players, ILB Mykal Walker and Golden with the former having played a little more on special teams. The Steelers did make Golden inactive for a game a few weeks ago, the one that included both T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith getting injured in. The Steelers do have LB Kyron Johnson as an emergency edge player option as he’ll likely dress against the Ravens for special teams reason. If Golden sits, rookie Nick Herbig would then be the primary backup to Watt on Highsmith. My confidence level in Golden being inactive is not high at all. Walker could just as easily be inactive.
