With the Steelers starting to wind down their offseason and the roster coming into focus, we have to consider potential candidates to move to the Reserve/Injured List. Pittsburgh has several players of varying notability out injured, and their timeline for return is unclear for us outsiders. With the NFL making it easier to place players on IR, it’s reasonable to assume teams are more likely to take advantage of it.
Once upon a time, the Steelers wouldn’t have been able to place anyone on IR and get him back. Once the league allowed to designate players for return, there was still roster juggling to do. In order for a player to be eligible to go on IR as a return candidate, he had to be on the initial 53-man roster.
While that is no longer true, there are caveats. First, a player has to make it to cutdown day to be eligible, and teams may only designate two players for return when placing them on IR on that day. The fact that they have to designate the immediately is also a mild disincentive. In hindsight, this is why the Steelers carried Logan Lee on their initial 53-man roster last year but didn’t put him directly on IR. They wanted him to be eligible to return, but they didn’t want to designate him. Here is the text of the change, by the way:
By Competition Committee; amends Article XVII, Section 17.16(C), to permit each club to place a maximum of two players who are placed on an applicable Reserve List on the business day of the final roster reduction to be designated for return. Such players will immediately count as two of the club’s total designations.
So who are the Steelers’ potential IR candidates, as we sit here today, with two preseason games to go?
- QB Will Howard: If the Steelers placed Howard on IR, it might be for his own good. Having missed all of the preseason at that point, he will have a three-week ramp-up period once he returns. We don’t know if Howard’s injury is that serious, though. He may even yet play in the preseason, for all we know.
- C Ryan McCollum: He moved up to the Steelers’ backup center last year with Nate Herbig on IR. Could he start this year on IR and give someone else an opportunity to take his job? He hasn’t practiced, or practiced much, in a while due to a lower-body injury.
- OT Calvin Anderson: With two reserve OL as IR candidates, the Steelers had better be looking at options. They did bring in Andrus Peat, who could compete for a backup role. Anderson is potentially the swing tackle, but they have other options, like Dylan Cook.
- CB Donte Kent: The rookie DB started training camp well, but he hasn’t practiced in some time, so a stint on IR may be necessary—even to his advantage. If the Steelers want to redshirt him, however, they may not want to place him directly on IR, a la Lee.
- CB Cory Trice Jr.: Given that he has been on IR three times already for the Steelers, Trice is an obvious candidate. Once again, he is dealing with a soft-tissue injury, putting his roster spot in jeopardy.
There are other players dealing with injuries, like Calvin Austin III and Yahya Black. My impression, however, is that they are on a more obvious short-term trajectory for return. There seems to be less clarity on the Steelers’ other injuries, which suggests a potentially longer timeline—and thus the potential for IR. We’ll have a much clearer picture in a week or two, but this is where we are now. Take it for what it’s worth.
