The Pittsburgh Steelers will once again head into their Week 2 matchup with the New England Patriots without Joey Porter Jr., while Michael Pittman Jr., Will Howard, and Drew Allar are also among the seven inactive players.
Howard will dress as the emergency third quarterback, but he can enter only if Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph can’t continue.
Still Curtain projected all seven names earlier Sunday after Pittsburgh elevated running back Travis Homer and defensive back Doneiko Slaughter from the practice squad. Those moves expanded the active/inactive roster to 55 players and created seven inactive spots once Pittsburgh chose to dress 48 for the 1 p.m. kickoff.
Porter and Pittman were the two known absences before the list arrived. Pittsburgh’s official Week 2 injury report ruled Porter out with conditioning and back designations before downgrading Pittman with a foot injury.
This could be the last game Porter misses, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Steelers are eyeing a potential Week 3 return against the Cincinnati Bengals, though his back and conditioning will determine whether that timeline holds. Pittman led the Steelers with 58 receiving yards in the opener, so Roman Wilson and rookie Germie Bernard move up behind DK Metcalf.
Homer and Slaughter, both members of Pittsburgh’s initial practice squad, are active. Homer adds experienced running-back depth and can contribute on coverage units. Slaughter gives the secondary another option with Porter unavailable and further strengthens the game-day special-teams group.
Pittsburgh Steelers' full inactive list against the New England Patriots
• QB Drew Allar
• QB Will Howard
• CB Joey Porter Jr.
• WR Michael Pittman Jr.
• G Gennings Dunker
• DL Kevin Jobity Jr.
• DL Gabriel Rubio
Howard and Allar will remain on the list unless the quarterback hierarchy shifts because of injury. Pittsburgh’s decision to keep four quarterbacks always meant one healthy passer would have no game-day role. Howard gets the emergency designation, while the rookie remains a standard inactive behind Rodgers and Rudolph.
Dunker is inactive for the second straight week after Pittsburgh dressed eight of its nine offensive linemen. Troy Fautanu is active after starting the week limited but finishing as a full participant in Friday's walkthrough. His availability allows Pittsburgh to carry the same offensive-line group it used against Atlanta, leaving Dunker in a developmental role.
Jobity and Rubio also sit for the second consecutive game. Pittsburgh dressed only five defensive linemen in Week 1 and has chosen the same allocation against New England. Rubio offered the only plausible surprise if the Steelers wanted more size against the Patriots’ rushing attack, but the defensive front is healthy enough to maintain its established rotation.
The three healthy scratches remain developmental pieces. Dunker is the ninth lineman, while Jobity and Rubio sit behind an established defensive-line rotation. Pittsburgh kept all three for future roles, and Week 2 offers no roster pressure to rush any of them into situational work against New England on Sunday afternoon.
Pittman’s injury creates a larger role for Roman Wilson, while Bernard gets his first real shot versus the Patriots. Slaughter supplies insurance behind the active cornerbacks, and Homer can take on special-teams work that might free Ben Skowronek for more offensive snaps.
Wilson and Bernard move up on offense, while Slaughter and Homer provide added depth and special-teams help. Pittsburgh got the inactive list it expected. Getting enough from "next man up" could help determine whether the Steelers leave New England at 2-0.
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