The Pittsburgh Steelers have already ruled out three players for their Week 5 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. But on Saturday, the team made a late addition to their injury report.
The Steelers announced early Saturday morning defensive lineman Yahya Black is questionable because of a personal reason.
“The Steelers have added DL Yahya Black (personal) to the game status report with a questionable designation for Sunday’s game against the Colts,” wrote the team’s senior director of communications Burt Lauten on X.
Steelers Depot’s Jake Brockhoff reminded Pittsburgh fans this is actually the second straight week Black was a late addition to the injury report. He was also questionable in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns for personal reasons.
“He had the same designation for Thursday’s game in Cleveland, but Black suited up and played 29 defensive snaps that night,” wrote Brockhoff.
“We may not know Black’s status until just before the 1pm kickoff on Sunday. It seems he’s likely dealing with the same thing that made him questionable for last week’s game.
In four games this season, Black has posted nine combined tackles — three solos and six assisted tackles.
Steelers Add Yahya Black to Week 5 Injury Report
Despite the questionable tag, the fact Black played last week likely gives Steelers fans hope the defensive lineman will dress again in Week 5. While that’s a fair assumption, it’s not guaranteed. Black might not be dealing with the same personal situation, and if he is, it’s persisted for more than a week. That’s probably not the best sign.
The Steelers might provide a clue with their practice squad elevations Saturday afternoon about whether Black will play. But that’s not guaranteed either. The team has elevated defensive back Doneiko Slaughter for three of the first four games and likely will again for Week 5. That leaves the Steelers with one other potential practice squad elevation.
Pittsburgh might not get Black’s official status for Week 5 until an hour and a half before kickoff. At that time, the Steelers will submit the game’s inactive list.
Steelers Will Already Be Missing Derrick Harmon in Week 5
Black plays a key role for the Steelers defensive line. But his status this week is even more crucial than previously.
Fellow second-year defensive lineman Derrick Harmon landed on injured reserve this week. With Harmon already out, the Steelers can’t really afford to not have Black either.
Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton are probably already set to play as much as possible without Harmon in Week 5. If Black is also sidelined, then the Steelers might have no choice but to insert a rookie along the defensive line for significant snaps.
Rookie defensive linemen Gabe Rubio and Kevin Jobity Jr. are both on the Steelers roster. Neither, though, has played in a regular season game yet this season.
The Steelers also have veteran defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day on the roster.
In the secondary, the Steelers will also be without cornerback Jamel Dean and safety DeShon Elliott. Dean avoided IR this week, but he could miss a couple games. Elliott returned to practice Wednesday but isn’t ready to play against the Colts.
Steelers Announce Late Addition to Injury Report for Colts Game