Joe Haden, Devin Bush inactive for the Steelers in Week 2 vs Raiders – Behind the Steel Curtain

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released their inactives for their home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. With Carlos Davis already ruled out due to injury, there were three players also listed as questionable for the game. With two of those players inactive in Joe Haden and Devin Bush, the list is made up of only two healthy scratches. With new roster rules which began in 2020, teams will only need to have five players inactive each game unless they elevate any players from the practice squad. With no elevations coming from the Steelers on Saturday, the five-man list comes courtesy of Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The most notable item from the inactive list is that cornerback Joe Haden and linebacker Devin Bush are both inactive after being questionable for the game with groin injuries. Neither player showed up on the Steelers injury report until Friday, and many Steelers’ fans were hopeful both players would be available. Seeing both of them on the sidelines will test the depth of the Steelers smothering defense they had in Week 1. While there has been no official announcement made as to who will be the replacements to start for both of these players, the likely candidates are Robert Spillane at linebacker and James Pierre at cornerback.

Tight end Zach Gentry is active even though he was questionable with an ankle. The fact that Steelers did not elevate Kevin Rader from the practice squad on Saturday was a good indication that Gentry was going to be available.

As expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers only dress two quarterbacks on game day. With Dwayne Haskins still the third man on the depth chart, he is one again on the inactive list as will be expected each week barring an unfortunate circumstance.

Carrying nine offensive lineman, the NFL rules allow 48 players to be active as long as eight of them are on the offensive line. Therefore, the additional lineman who is inactive for the Steelers is once again guard Rashaad Coward.

The final member of the inactive list was already known on Friday as Carlos Davis was ruled out with a knee injury.

With Joe Haden inactive, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon will get a helmet for the first time after the Steelers traded for him on September 3rd. With Haden working out in pre-game warm ups to see if he could go, it will be interesting to see if Witherspoon is utilized as he may not have been a part of the original game plan.

As for the Raiders inactives, they can be seen below courtesy of ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. The Raiders already had five players ruled out for the game on Friday and promoted two players from the practice squad on Saturday. This is why their inactives include seven names.