Isaiah Buggs inactive in Week 12 for the Steelers against the Bengals

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released their inactives for their Week 11 matchup against the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday. With one player already ruled out due to injury, two players going on IR, one still on the Covid List, and having two players elevated from the practice squad on Saturday along with one more signed to the 53, there are four healthy scratches and five total players on the list.

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

Steelers Inactives

No. 3 QB Dwayne Haskins
No. 23 CB Joe Haden
No. 45 LB Buddy Johnson
No. 87 TE Kevin Rader
No. 96 DT Isaiah Buggs

It should be noted Ray-Ray McCloud 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. Although the Steelers could have moved up one of their players from the practice squad as a Covid replacement, they did not have either player listed as such in their official statement.

The only players on the inactive list who was ruled out previously due to injury is cornerback Joe Haden. Limited on Thursday and Friday, Hayden was listed as questionable following Friday’s practice but was downgraded to Out on Saturday. With Haden down again, Ahkello Witherspoon gets a helmet for the second-straight week.

As for the players who were healthy scratches, Dwayne Haskins is once again inactive for the second-straight week after getting a helmet for the first time this season in Week 10. There is only one other familiar name on the inactive list as the Steelers have linebacker Buddy Johnson inactive for his ninth-straight game.

The other familiar player usually on the Steelers inactive list is running back Anthony McFarland Jr. Instead, the Steelers have McFarland active against the Bengals and instead have decided to go with only two tight ends as the newly signed tight end Kevin Rader is inactive in his place. Signed to the 53-man roster this week ahead of Eric Ebron going on the Reserve/Injured list, the Steelers have decided to hold Rader out this game and go with only two tight ends in Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry.

The final player on the Steelers inactive list for Week 12 is defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs. The Steelers surprisingly elevated Daniel Archibong from the practice squad for the game this week to give them six healthy players at the position. Because of this, the Steelers have chosen Buggs to sit this one out against the Bengals. This is quite a surprise as Buggs has started six of the Steelers past eight games at nose tackle since the loss of Tyson Alualu. The only reason Buggs did not start the other two games was because the Steelers’ first play on defense was in nickle and a nose tackle was not on the field. As for who will be getting the snaps at nose tackle this week, it is unclear at this time if they will call on Henry Mondeaux, Archibong, or Isaiahh Loudermilk.

As for the Bengals’ inactives, they can be seen below courtesy of Steelers.com.

Bengals Inactives

No. 16 WR Trenton Irwin
No. 19 WR Auden Tate
No. 29 CB Vernon Hargreaves
No. 74 OL Fred Johnson
No. 84 TE Mitchell Wilcox
No. 99 DT Tyler Shelvin