The Steelers go into today's game against the Cleveland Browns without multiple players on defense.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and nose tackle Montravius Adams are inactive, both of them ruled out on Friday with injuries. Fitzpatrick has been dealing with a hamstring injury which is forcing him to miss his third straight game. Adams is missing his second straight game with an ankle injury.
The team also will be without safety Keanu Neal, who was placed on the Reserve/Injured List on Saturday, and linebackers Kwon Alexander and Cole Holcomb, who were previously placed on the Reserve/Injured List.
The mounting injuries on defense resulted in multiple roster moves on Saturday, including signing linebacker Mykal Walker to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.
Walker was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent three seasons (2020-22) with the Falcons, playing in 49 games, with 20 starts.
Walker recorded 187 tackles over his three years in Atlanta, 89 of them solo stops. He added 11 passes defensed, three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, two forced fumbles, one sack and one fumble recovery.
"My experience and versatility," said Walker of what he can add. "I have done it before. I have had the green dot before. I have played in big games.
"Just my experience I have out there, being able to call upon the coaching staff, I ask questions all day long. I bring experience and versatility."
In addition, linebacker Tariq Carpenter and safety Trenton Thompson were elevated from the practice squad to the Active/Inactive Roster for the game for the second straight week.
Carpenter was signed to the Steelers practice squad ahead of the team's Week 1 game.
Carpenter spent last season with the Green Bay Packers after they selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He saw action in 14 games, finishing with eight special teams tackles, which was sixth on the team. Carpenter had at least one special teams tackle in six of the final eight games of the season.
He played at Georgia Tech where he appeared in 52 games, 41 starts, and finished with 223 tackles, 152 of them solo stops. He also had 22 passes defensed, four interceptions, six and a half tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles.
Thompson was signed by the Steelers during training camp and added to the practice squad at the start of the regular season.
Thompson, who played at San Diego State, signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft.
He played in 57 games at San Diego State, starting 31, and finished with 191 tackles, 125 of them solo stops, 12 tackles for a loss, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack.
Also active today is tight end Pat Freiermuth, who was activated from the Reserve/Injured List on Saturday.
Freiermuth has missed the last four games while on the Reserve/Injured List, as well as the Ravens game in Week 8, while dealing with a hamstring injury.
"It's been hard, missing this time," said Freiermuth. "I missed three games at Penn State at the end of the year for my shoulder. This is the longest I have missed, six weeks, five games. It definitely was hard.
"I am a big team guy. I love being around the team. It was hard seeing them go out there and compete without me. I am a big competitor. It was definitely hard. But I am excited to be back, especially for a divisional game.
"You always think if I am out there, this can happen. But I think the offense did a good job. The tight ends held it down. Hopefully we can take that next step, especially going into late November/December football."
The full list of inactives is below.
Steelers Inactives
No. 2 QB Mason Rudolph (3rd QB)
No. 21 CB Darius Rush
No. 39 S Minkah Fitzpatrick
No. 48 RB Godwin Igwebuike
No. 57 DT Montravius Adams
No. 60 T Dylan Cook
Browns Inactives
No. 1 FS Juan Thornhill
No. 3 WR Marquise Goodwin
No. 56 DE Luke Wypler
No. 57 DE Isaiah McGuire
No. 62 DT Siaki Ika
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