The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a pair of serious injuries in their embarrassing Week 8 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Starting safety DeShon Elliott sustained a serious knee injury when he was rolled up on by Packers tight end Tyler Kraft, while defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale went down with a non-contact knee injury.
Ekuale was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury. The veteran defensive tackle and former New England Patriots starter has played a small role in the team's defensive rotation at nose tackle, backing up Keeanu Benton.
With Ekuale out for the year and the Steelers already struggling on defense, some assumed Pittsburgh might take the opportunity to look for a quality defensive tackle on the free agent market or via trade. But it appears the Steelers' backup plan is already in place.
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie DT Yahya Black is in line for a bigger role after Daniel Ekuale's injury
When first-round pick Derrick Harmon missed time to begin the season, it was fifth-round defensive tackle Yahya Black who was awarded with unexpected playing time. However, Black's snap counts have decreased since Harmon returned from his MCL sprain. Now Black's role could increase once again.
When Ekuale went down with the ACL injury in Week 8 against the Packers, Black took snaps behind Keenu Benton as the team's backup nose tackle. His snap count increased slightly from 13 snaps against Cincinnati in Week 7 to 15 snaps against Green Bay in Week 8.
Now that Ekuale is officially out for the year, we can expect to see an increased role for Black—especially if the Steelers don't add defensive tackle help before the NFL trade deadline.
READ MORE: Steelers keep sitting their best young playmakers (not just Nick Herbig)
Black is familiar with the nose tackle position. Though he's primarily played 3-4 defensive end for Pittsburgh in the first half of his rookie season, Black took snaps at nose tackle during training camp, and he's familiar with the position from his days at Iowa.
Black's size, strength, and versatility to play multiple positions along the interior defensive line make him an asset for the Steelers. Roughly halfway through the season, the fifth-round pick has seen the field for 156 defensive snaps, and we could see an even larger role in the second half of the season.
Black has yet to record a sack or a tackle for a loss early in his NFL career, and he's not going to be known for his ability to get after the quarterback. However, he was arguably Pittsburgh's best player during the 2025 preseason, and fans will be excited to see him earn an increased role down the stretch.