Pittsburgh Steelers place CB Senquez Golson on IR, make other surprising roster moves

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made two roster moves, and both have been huge surprises.

The Steelers place Senquez Golson and Ryan Harris on injured reserve and sign Al-Hajj Shabazz and Matt Feiler to the 53-man roster.

— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) October 8, 2016

The Steelers have placed injured cornerback Senquez Golson, and recently injured offensive tackle Ryan Harris on their injured reserve list. With the roster move, they promoted cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz and tackle Matt Feiler to their 53-man roster prior to their Week 5 game against the New York Jets.

What is the most surprising are the two players who were sent to injured reserve. Golson, who suffered a Lisfranc injury early in training camp, was kept on the active 53-man roster in hopes of his return. Either he was dealt a setback in his rehabilitation, or the team simply needed the roster spot and couldn't wait any longer for his foot to heal. Regardless, this could mark the second year in a row Golson doesn't see a snap of professional football.

Ryan Harris suffered a hematoma on his shin in the team's Week 4 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and all reports stated the injury wasn't as simple as most thought. The Steelers have a pretty bare cupboard at offensive tackle, and had to move Feiler to the active roster to ensure they can make moves if injuries strike again.

With the new NFL rule regarding a player coming back from injured reserve, the team can select one player to return to their lineup. This can all take place without any type of notification prior to the roster move, unlike years past when one player had to be designated to return once being placed on injured reserve. The only caveat is the player has to be off the active roster for 8 weeks.

The team now has three players who could possibly be viable options to return from injured reserve: OLB Bud Dupree, CB Senquez Golson and OT Ryan Harris. It has been reported Dupree could be further way from returning that most thought when he was placed on injured reserve, and the extent of Golson and Harris' injuries are not known. Nonetheless, Dupree would be the player would could return first, as he has been on the injured reserve since Week 1.

Either way, the team will have a tough decision to make, but some roster moves had to be made before the team played the Jets. With the numerous injuries the team is dealing with, there is no way they could have played the game at Heinz Field without adding some players to their roster.

Stay tuned to BTSC for all the latest news and updates on the Steelers heading into Week 5 and beyond.