Steelers inactive in Week 4 vs. Colts

The Steelers enter tonight's game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium without several key players, but coach Mike Tomlin is always focused on who is available and not who is unavailable.

Linebacker Alex Highsmith, running back Jaylen Warren, tight end MyCole Pruitt and guard Isaac Seumalo are all inactive due to injuries, while cornerback Darius Rush and receiver Roman Wilson are also among the inactives and Russell Wilson is the third quarterback.

With Highsmith out with a groin injury, Nick Herbig and DeMarvin Leal will be available and asked to compete against both the pass and rush.

“I think if you want to be an elite player and play at an elite level, you have to play all three downs,” Herbig said. “That was a big focus for me in camp. Mike T(omlin) talked about it every day and worked on the run game.”

Herbig filled in against the Chargers when Highsmith was injured and finished the game with two sacks.

It's obvious how he takes advantage of every snap.

“I think it's my coaches and teammates who believe in me, put me in a position to make plays, mentor me and show me the fundamentals,” Herbig said. “It's a good feeling because you know your hard work is paying off.

“You work all year long, even in the off-season, for moments like this, to be able to go out and perform.”

In addition to his work on the defensive line, Leal has served as an outside linebacker throughout the team's development and is expected to expand his role this week.

Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin takes comfort in what Leal offers, especially given his maturity since his arrival.

“One big thing with him in terms of the way he approaches his job and the consistency with which he tries to do his job is a change,” Austin said. “We kind of expected that when we drafted Marv. He was a young man, 21 years old, coming in and still having to develop.”

“We assumed there would be some growing pains along the way. I think his performance in camp and the things we've liked and seen about it this offseason is a credit to his maturity and the things he's starting to do more consistently.”

Linebacker TJ Watt knows Leal will give it his all today and give the defense what it needs with Highsmith out.

“This isn’t his first attempt,” Watt said. “He has played in game reps at both end linebacker and outside linebacker. We are happy with that.”

“He asks good questions. He has shown a lot of versatility in his pass rush moves. Obviously he can stop the run.”

“He's a big guy. Not only is he as strong as he looks, he also has a lot of finesse, as you've seen. He’s come a long way and I’m really excited for him to get some playing time.”

At running back, Jaylen Warren continues to deal with a knee injury he suffered last week against the Chargers. When Warren left the game, Cordarrelle Patterson was asked to stand behind Najee Harris. If that happens again this week, Harris knows they will be fine.

“CP is a future Hall of Famer,” Harris said. “It works in any offense. He is a good player. People need to be clear about what he brings to the table. He’s a good player.”

Patterson considers himself a jack of all trades, even sacrificing the ability to play defense or quarterback when necessary.

“I don’t sell myself short for anything,” Patterson said. “I feel like I could play any position on the football field. When my name is called, I just go out there and make a play. Whether it’s kickoff or punt, defense or quarterback.”

“I'm not selling myself for anything. The more you can do, the better you stay in this league. I’m so grateful that God gave me the opportunity to be ready and willing to just play any position.”

Although it's still early in the season, the Steelers have relied heavily on the next-man-up mentality, including on offense, and Harris said they need to maintain that.

“It’s the next man’s turn. That’s the mentality,” Harris said. “Whoever is in there, we expect them to do the same thing as the person who was there before. It’s 11 on 11, the ultimate team sport.”

“We expect you to have that standard. It's just the next man up mentality. They expect them to go in there and do the job. Just next man up.”

On offense, Seumalo returned to training this week but will not be active today. With Seumalo out, guards Mason McCormick and Spencer Anderson should see time.

Last week against the Chargers, Anderson and McCormick took turns but were also both on the field at the same time when the Steelers were in the jumbo package and used six offensive linemen.

Anderson said it's all part of the next-man-up mentality at stake. Before the season began, center Nate Herbig was placed on the reserve/injured list and rookie Zach Frazier filled in. Seumalo was injured in training before the start of the season and did not see a game, with Anderson and McCormick stepping up.

“I’m confident in who I am,” McCormick said. “I've worked really hard to get myself into this position and so I'm going to go out there and do what I have to do and play as hard as I can and the rest will take care of itself.”
“I'm super excited. Every time you get a chance to play this game, it's fun. I’m looking forward to the challenge and whatever happens, happens.”

Due to the injuries, the Steelers also elevated defensive back Thomas Graham Jr. and running back Aaron Shampklin from the practice squad to the active/inactive roster for the game.

Graham received a reserve/future contract at the end of the 2023 season and was then added to the practice squad at the start of the season. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He played in four games for the Bears and recorded 13 tackles and four passes defended. He also spent time on the Bears' practice squad.

Shampklin was with the team throughout the offseason and preseason, was released during the final roster cut and returned to the practice squad. Shampklin originally joined the Steelers when he signed a reserve/future contract at the end of the 2023 season. He previously spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 and also spent part of the 2022 season with the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys.

The full list of inactives can be found below.