The Pittsburgh Steelers ruled six players out of the team’s Week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to injury, and four of them are starters in the team’s defensive secondary.
All-Pro free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) and cornerbacks Ahekllo Witherspoon (hamstring), Cam Sutton (hamstring) and Levi Wallace (concussion) will all be held out of the game against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.
The Steelers will start Tre Norwood at free safety and James Pierre and practice squad call-up Josh Jackson are in line to start at outside cornerback, with Art Maulet in the slot. Strong safety Terrell Edmunds is expected to return from the concussion protocol after missing the Week 5 game at Buffalo.
Sutton and Wallace were injured against the Bills and left mid-game, while Witherspoon will miss his third game. So compared to the end of the Buffalo game, the Steelers will simply be swapping a banged up Fitzpatrick for Edmunds in the secondary and sliding Norwood over a spot.
Cornerbacks Mark Gilbert, Quincy Wilson and Duke Dawson and safety Elijah Riley are also candidates to be elevated from the practice squad in addition to Jackson.
On the defensive line, the Steelers got tackle Larry Ogunjobi back to work after missing the first two practices of the week with a back injury. He and tackle Montravius Adams Sr. (hip) are both expected to play.
Rookie defensive end DeMarvin Leal suffered a knee injury in between Thursday and Friday’s practice sessions and has been ruled out.
The Steelers have also ruled out starting tight end Pat Freiermuth, who remains in the NFL concussion protocol. Freiermuth, who suffered his third concussion in two NFL seasons last Sunday, was limited in practice all week but declared out.
Zach Gentry was a full participant in Friday’s practice after being limited earlier in the week with a knee injury. He does not have an injury designation and will start. Connor Heyward will provide depth.