Steelers inactive in Week 6 vs. Raiders

The Steelers' inactive list for tonight's game against the Las Vegas Raiders is driven almost entirely by injuries.

Linebackers Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, running back Cordarrelle Patterson, tight end MyCole Pruitt and safety Damontae Kazee were all out Friday and were inactive today.

With outside linebackers Highsmith and Herbig injured and DeMarvin Leal being placed on the reserve/injured list on Saturday, the team will rely on three players who haven't seen much action for the Black and Gold.

Linebackers Jeremiah Moon, who played against the Cowboys last week, Ade Ogundeji, who was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, and Eku Leota, who was elevated to the practice squad, are all being asked to move up.

“I thought Ade, Moon and Eku did a great job of getting the most out of the reps and they asked really good questions,” linebacker TJ Watt said. “They have played good football at a high level before. So this is nothing new for them and I’m happy to see them take their chance and make some plays for us.”

“Just do your job. That's what I'm trying to tell them: just do your 1/11. Don't try to do too much. The way we talk about every single week, the pieces will be there.” Just don't try to two-gap when you're supposed to one-gap. Don't try to shoot things when you're not supposed to or the games will fall into your lap.

“It’s just a matter of taking advantage of the opportunity that comes your way.”

While who is unavailable is a big part of the game today, who is active is an equally big part of it.

Running back Jaylen Warren is active after missing the last two games with an ankle injury. Warren, who has been out since leaving the game against the Chargers with a knee injury, returned to practice for the first time this week.

“It’s definitely a big part of our offense,” Warren quarterback Justin Fields said. “He is a great player in every respect. He is great at running the ball, protecting the pass, playing in the flats and catching the ball out of the backfield. So that's going to be a big part of our offense if we get him back, definitely.”

Rookie receiver Roman Wilson will be active in his first NFL game, while quarterback Russell Wilson will be active for the first time this season as the No. 2 quarterback and Kyle Allen will be active as the No. 3/emergency quarterback.

Roman Wilson missed most of training camp and the start of the season with an ankle injury and fought his way back onto the field in practice in recent weeks.

When he spoke with him on Thursday, he said he was confident he could earn a hat and come onto the field to complement the mix already in place at receiver and bring his style of play to the group.

“Just another playmaker out there, someone who can make plays, be in the right spot and be consistent and can help this team win games,” Wilson said. “Hopefully, as a younger man, I can bring my energy and a lot of enthusiasm to this team. And people expect a lot from me, so I hope I can live up to that.”

As for Russell Wilson, coach Mike Tomlin indicated Friday that he would “probably” be active as the No. 2 quarterback, with Fields as the starter.

“I like what I saw out here (in practice),” Tomlin said. “Again, health and rust are two different things. I thought he had a good week demonstrating his health and his ability to protect himself. Now it’s just a process of getting used to the ball again.”

Wilson has been busy training all week and said he is making progress.

“I was able to do a lot more this week,” Wilson said. “It was exciting to be back out there and be a full participant and do everything, all the reps and everything else.”

Wilson was asked Thursday about his expectations for Sunday and what he thinks his role will be. He didn't have a definitive answer.

“That’s a big question,” Wilson said. “I'm mentally preparing to go and everything else, so that's kind of my mentality and helping us win and whatever that is. And yeah, I’m just getting ready for (today).”

Wilson, a 13-year veteran, said he's gotten enough work that getting up to speed won't be a problem.

“I got all the reps,” Wilson said. “It’s not like I wasn’t out there. I got a lot of reps this time and everything else overall and I feel really confident with our guys with who we are. You've seen some of the plays the guys are making, there's just a lot of good things, so I'm confident and I'm not worried about that.”

Wilson knows he needs to be at full strength and not dealing with a calf injury to return to the field and said he is confident that will be the case.

“I'm confident that I'm ready to play at a high level, and I think we're also being really smart and trying to understand exactly how I'm feeling,” Wilson said. “It’s my first week really back out there. I’m very confident and the ball is turning, and that’s a good thing.”

“So I have no doubt that when I step between the white lines I will be ready.”

The full list of inactives can be found below.