Zach Banner active in Week 10 for the Steelers against the Lions

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released their inactives for their Week 10 matchup against the Detroit Lions at Heinz Field. With one players already ruled out due to injury and having one player elevated from the practice squad on Saturday, there should have been five healthy scratches and six players on the list. But with Ben Roethlisberger going on the Reserve/COVID-19 List late on Saturday and the Steelers not replacing him on the roster, there are only five names on the list.

The Steelers full inactive list comes courtesy of Steelers.com.

Steelers Inactives

No. 11 WR Chase Claypool
No. 25 CB Ahkello Witherspoon
No. 26 RB Anthony McFarland
No. 45 LB Buddy Johnson
No. 67 C B.J. Finney

It should be noted Ben Roethlisberger is not on the inactive list because he is not technically on the Steelers active 53-man roster. When a player goes on the Reserve/COVID-19 List, it is much like going on the IR as they do not count towards the total. The Steelers would have been free to move up a player from the practice squad to replace Roethlisberger, but if the player was merely going to be inactive there was no reason to make such a move since the Steelers had already elevated Steven Sims.

Wide receiver Chase Claypool was ruled out on Friday and will miss his second game of the 2021 season. Missing the Steelers Week 4 matchup with the Green Bay Packers with a hamstring injury, this time Claypool is not in the lineup due to a toe. In order for the Steelers to have five wide receivers this week, Steven Sims was called up from the practice squad.

As for the players who were healthy scratches, Dewayne Haskins is active for the first time this season as he will serve as the backup to Mason Rudolph. Instead, others on the inactive list are familiar names as the Steelers have cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon inactive for the seventh-straight game and eight of the nine games this season. After getting a helmet in Week 2 due to another injury Witherspoon has been on the inactive list ever since. For the sixth-straight week, Buddy Johnson finds himself on the inactive list as he has been every time all the other linebackers have been healthy.

The biggest change on the list this week is Zach Banner being active for the first time on the 2021 season. On the Reserve/Injured List to start the season, Banner had been inactive the last three games despite re-joining the 53-man roster. It’s unclear at this time if Banner will see action in the game or is just available in case the Steelers choose to make a change. With the Steelers carrying an additional tackle for the game, center/guard B.J. Finney is inactive for the first time this season. J.C. Hassenauer looks to be the backup at all the interior line positions with the likely other player needed in a pinch being Joe Haeg.

The final player on the Steelers inactive list is running back Anthony McFarland Jr. This is McFarland’s second-straight game being inactive as he appeared in the Steelers Week 8 victory over the Cleveland Browns after coming off the Reserve/Injured List. Following his only game of the season, McFarland was also inactive in Week 9 against the Bears.

As for the Lions’ inactives, they can be seen below courtesy of Steeler.com.

Lions Inactives

No. 2 OLB Austin Bryant
No. 8 WR Josh Reynolds
No. 30 RB Jamaal Williams
No. 52 OLB Jessie Lemonier
No. 92 DE Kevin Strong