Only 2 healthy scratches for the Steelers in Week 16 against the Chiefs

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released their inactives for their Week 16 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. With four players already ruled out due to injury, five still on the Covid List, having four players elevated from the practice squad, and rwo being brought to the active roster on Saturday, there are two healthy scratches and six total players on the list.

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

Steelers Inactives

No. 3 QB Dwayne Haskins
No. 6 P Pressley Harvin
No. 16 P Cameron Nizialek
No. 45 LB Buddy Johnson
No. 88 TE Pat Freiermuth
No. 95 DE Chris Wormley

It should be noted none of the players on the Reserve/COVID-19 List are on the inactive list because they are 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. Those players are Devin Bush, Zach Banner, Marcus Allen, Isaiah Buggs, and Anthony McFarland Jr.

The players on the inactive list who were ruled out previously due to injury are tight end Pat Freiermuth, defensive tackle Chris Wormley, and inside linebacker Buddy Johnson. Freiermuth left the Steelers contest with the Tennessee Titans last week in the third quarter with a concussion and was unable to practice all week as he is still in the NFL‘s protocol. Chris Wormley left last weeks game late with a groin injury and also wasn’t able to practice this week. As for Buddy Johnson, he was a full participant the first two days of the week only to become limited on Friday and be ruled out.

Another player who was ruled out for Sunday’s game but not due to injury is rookie punter Pressley Harvin III. On Saturday, Harvin‘s father tragically passed away and he was ruled out for personal reasons. In his place, the Steelers signed two punters, one to the active roster and one to the practice squad whom they elevated for the game.

As for the players who were healthy scratches, Dwayne Haskins is once again inactive for the sixth-straight week after getting a helmet for the first time this season in Week 10. Hunter Cameron Nizialek, who was signed to the practice squad and elevated for the game, is the final player inactive. The Steelers had both Niziale and Corliss Waitman available for pregame as it was the first action with the Steelers for either player this season. Waitman appears to have won the punting responsibilities as well as place holding for the day and will wear jersey number 10.

As for the Chiefs’ inactives, they can be seen below courtesy of Steelers.com. None of the three players the Chiefs brought off of the Reserve/COVID-19 List on Saturday in hopes of clearing the protocol for the game were able to do so and are inactive, including tight end Travis Kelce.

Chiefs Inactives

No. 6 QB Shane Buechele
No. 54 LB Nick Bolton
No. 67 OT Lucas Niang
No. 87 TE Travis Kelce