Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Marcus Epps of the Philadelphia Eagles tackles Cody White of the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 12, 2021.
On Saturday afternoon the Pittsburgh Steelers elevated a pair of offensive players to the active/inactive roster, namely wide receiver Cody White and offensive tackle Chaz Green. The moves are a direct response to recent injuries, as the Steelers ruled out starting wide receiver Chase Claypool (hamstring) earlier in the day.
#Steelers WR Chase Claypool (hamstring) has been downgraded to OUT for Sunday’s game at Green Bay.
Meanwhile, Green has been elevated because two Steelers offensive linemen have already been ruled out of Sunday’s game vs. the Green Bay Packers. Starting right tackle Chuks Okorafor remains sidelined with the concussion he suffered on Sept. 26 against the Cincinnati Bengals, while backup guard Rashaad Coward has an ankle injury. The only other Pittsburgh player who will definitely be inactive vs. Green Bay is backup defensive lineman Carlos Davis, who already missed the last two games with an ankle injury yet hasn’t been placed on injured reserve.
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About Cody White, Chaz Green
As for the replacements, this will be the second week in a row that Cody White has been elevated to the active roster. On Sept. 26 he made his NFL regular-season debut against the Bengals and caught two passes for 17 yards, per Steelers.com.
The Steelers originally signed White on Sept. 24, 2020, and he spent the rest of the season on the team’s practice squad. It’s perhaps worth noting that the 22-year-old Michigan State product has NFL bloodlines. White’s father, Sheldon, played six seasons in the league with the New York Giants, Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals after the Giants made him a third-round draft choice in 1988.
As for Chaz Green, he signed with the Steelers in mid-July. He’s a former third-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys (2015) who appeared in 15 games for the Indianapolis Colts last season. In all likelihood, he will serve as a backup to veteran tackle Joe Haeg, a 2021 free agent acquisition who replaced Okorafor in the lineup last weekend after Chuks went out with his concussion.
While Green doesn’t have quite the same amount of experience as Haeg, the 29-year-old has been around the block a few times. Per Pro Football Reference, he has appeared in 37 NFL games, with eight starts. However, he has started just two games in the past three years.
After Sunday’s contest at Lambeau Field, both Green and White will automatically revert to the practice squad without having to clear waivers.
Pittsburgh Gets Good News on the Injury Front
Meanwhile, the Steelers have had their share of positive news in recent days. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (pectoral), wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster (ribs) and Dionte Johnson (knee), and outside linebackers Alex Highsmith (groin) and T.J. Watt (groin) were all full participants in practice on Friday and are expected to be in the lineup come kickoff on Sunday (4:25 pm ET).
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Injuries Prompt Steelers to Elevate Receiver, Ex-Cowboys Tackle