Steelers activate Eli Rogers from PUP and place Marcus Gilbert on injured reserve

The Pittsburgh Steelers officially confirmed two roster moves on Saturday when they announced they had activated wide receiver Eli Rogers from the physically unable to perform list and had placed offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert on injured reserve.

Although Rogers has not played since he tore his ACL in the playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, he was reportedly talking reps with the first team in training this week and his return had always been expected since resuming practice a few weeks ago. With Ryan Switzer questionable for the game after picking up an ankle injury on Friday, it is not so surprising to see the coaching staff opting to activate him now.

Needing to make room on the 53-man roster to accommodate him, the Steelers have finally taken the long overdue decision to place Gilbert on injured reserve. Unable to play since returning from the bye-week with a knee injury, he has missed the last eight games in a row and nine overall this season. Matt Feiler will start on his place on Sunday and for the remainder of the season.

Gilbert has played in just 12 games over the last two years and has not played a full season since 2015. Entering the final year of his contact in 2019, he might struggle to keep his job if he cannot convince the coaching staff he can stay off the injury list.