With the Steelers nearing an initial 53-man roster, it’s time to consider potential candidates for the Reserve/Injured List, or IR. Teams may place up to two players on IR on cutdown day without the requirement that they be on the initial 53-man roster. However, they could still place more than two on IR if they do carry them on the roster.
Players placed on IR directly without being on the 53 are immediately given return designations. That’s a factor the Steelers must consider, for example, with Will Howard, as they did last year when they kept Logan Lee on the initial 53 before later moving him to IR. Below is a fairly comprehensive list of almost everybody we could conceivably include. The only players I didn’t list, I think, are Alex Highsmith and Calvin Austin III. Both sound close enough to returning that IR likely isn’t even a consideration.
QB Will Howard: The rookie quarterback broke his pinky and missed the entire preseason. We don’t even know if Howard is practicing, so the Steelers have to consider him for IR. And they have to decide whether or not they want to use a return designation on him. In other words, even if he makes the initial 53-man roster, that doesn’t guarantee anything. Especially if Skylar Thompson also makes it.
OT Calvin Anderson: Until recently, Anderson still wasn’t even practicing. That’s a bad sign, and he already spent a lot of time with the Steelers on IR last year. Even though he isn’t the ideal swing tackle, his injury leaves the Steelers unnervingly thin. Although he has returned to practice in some capacity, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee that he avoids IR.
DL Derrick Harmon: The rookie first-round pick sprained his knee in the preseason finale. Although it sounds as though the Steelers will avoid an IR stint for him, we can’t rule it out. Reportedly, he could miss four to six weeks, but they may err on the side of caution. Mike Tomlin described his injury as “week to week” yesterday, so that’s obviously a very good sign, but for the sake of comprehensiveness, let’s just leave him here. You can feel free to cross him off your own personal list at home.
CB Cory Trice Jr.: The promising young Steelers CB could wind up on IR for the third season in a row. This time, Trice has been dealing with a hamstring injury, but it has put his job in jeopardy. When the team talks about him, it’s with frustration, knowing his ability and availability don’t align. He claims he could be ready for Week 1, but it might be better for his employment if he ends up on IR.
CB Beanie Bishop Jr.: This is an unknown because Bishop was a surprise absentee on the field for the final preseason game. The question is, why didn’t he play? If Bishop injured himself in pre-game warmups or something, he could be an IR candidate for the Steelers. Recent indications do seem to point to an injury.
CB Donte Kent: Although it sounds like Kent is working his way back, rookie injuries can be tricky. You know, like Logan Lee’s last year, wink wink. If the Steelers are looking for Kent to redshirt, expect that injury to flare up and land him on IR.
LS Christian Kuntz: This is another case in which it seems we’ve gotten the all-clear. Kuntz injured his sternum in the second preseason game, but appeared to suffer significant damage. The Steelers already released the other long snapper they signed, which suggests Kuntz won’t need to go on IR. But for completion’s sake, let’s just keep him here for now.
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