Minkah Fitzpatrick active for the Steelers Week 18 vs. Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released their inactives for their Week 18 matchup with the Cleveland Browns. With one player ruled out and two others listed as questionable, the Steelers will have more healthy scratches than injured players. With new roster rules which began in 2020, teams will only need to have five players inactive each game unless they elevate any players from the practice squad. This week, the Steelers once again called up defensive lineman Renell Wren. For this reason, the inactive list is six players and comes courtesy of Steelers.com.

Steelers Inactives

No. 2 QB Mason Rudolph
No. 21 S Tre Norwood
No. 50 LB Malik Reed
No. 53 G Kendrick Green
No. 54 LB Tae Crowder
No. 91 DT Jonathan Marshall

The most notable thing from the list is it does not include safety Minkah Fitzpatrick who was questionable coming into the game with an ankle injury. Additionally, linebacker Myles Jack, who was questionable with a groin injury which kept hi out of the second half of last week’s game, is also active.

The player who is on the inactive list due to injury this week is safety Tre Norwood. Leaving the game two weeks ago with a hamstring injury, Norwood was unable to play last week and was ruled out for Week 18 on Friday.

After getting a helmet Week 15 due to Kenny Pickett being in the NFL‘s concussion protocol, quarterback Mason Rudolph is on the inactive list where he has now spent 16 of the 17 games this season. The only player who has more inactives this year is guard/center Kendrick Green who is once again inactive for the 17th-straight week.

Spending his fourth-straight week on the inactive list is defensive tackle Jonathan Marshall. Joining the Steelers after being signed off the Jets practice squad prior to Week 15 when Chris Wormley was placed on the Reserve/Injured List, Marshal is still getting acclimated to Pittsburgh and will once again be on the sidelines. The Steelers chose to elevate Renell Wren from the practice squad again this week rather than have Marshall active for the game.

Once again this week, the Steelers are also choosing to have an extra defensive lineman available at the cost of another outside linebacker for Week 18. Much like both their matchups with the Ravens this season, the Steelers are opting to have outside linebacker Malik Reed inactive. Additionally, linebacker Tae Crowder is also inactive completing the list which is identical to the Steelers inactives from Week 17.

As for the Browns’ inactives, they can be seen below courtesy of Steelers.com. Most notably, cornerback Denzel Ward id active after being questionable.

Browns Inactives

No. 8 QB Kellen Mond
No. 25 RB Demetric Felton Jr.
No. 31 CB Thomas Graham
No. 57 DT Ben Stille
No. 58 DE Isaiah Thomas
No. 78 OT Jack Conklin
No. 90 DE Jadeveon Clowney