The Pittsburgh Steelers have activated offensive tackle Dylan Cook from the injured reserve list. Cook returned to practice on Oct. 17 after being placed on the injured reserve list in late August due to a Lisfranc injury is his left foot. Cook suffered the injury during the second week of preseason and tried to play through it before landing on IR.
Cook’s return to practice on Oct. 17 opened up a 21-day window. If the 21 days had passed and he remained on IR, he would’ve missed the rest of the season.
Cook had already been designated to return from the IR, along with outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon. The team is allowed to reinstate a total of eight players from the injured reserve list over the course of the regular season.
Cook, 26, is a 6-foot-6, 305-pound tackle from Butte, Montana in his second season with the Steelers and third in the NFL. He joined Pittsburgh last May after being released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after his rookie season. Cook spent the entire 2023 season on the Steelers active roster as the No. 4 tackle, and was dressed for one game, but did not make an appearance. This season, he once again appeared set to enter the season as the fourth tackle behind Dan Moore Jr., Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu.
Fautanu was lost for the season to a knee injury before the third game, meaning the free agent signing Calvin Anderson has been serving as the backup tackle. In addition to playing both tackle spots in training camp, Cook worked as the team’s jumbo tight end, as well, a role that he could reprise when he comes back.
In addition to Fautanu, center/guard Nate Herbig and guard James Daniels have also been lost to season-ending injuries.