Steelers Rule Out Three Defenders For AFC North Rematch With Bengals

The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t be at full strength when looking to rebound from last month’s rocky performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Pittsburgh ruled out three players for Sunday’s AFC North showdown at Acrisure Stadium. Per Friday’s injury report, cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (concussion) and linebackers Alex Highsmith (pectoral) and Cole Holcomb (illness) will miss the Week 11 matchup.

Highsmith missed two games with an ankle injury earlier this season, but he’s returned strong to submit two sacks in each of Pittsburgh’s last two games. The pass rusher has 5.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits through seven games before injuring his pectoral in last Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

It’s another disappointing health setback for Highsmith, who missed six games due to ankle and groin injuries last season.

“It’s just frustrating for something like this to pop up because I’m someone who really takes care of my body and does a lot extra to make sure these things don’t happen,” Highsmith said. “I just have to continue to rehab. It’s frustrating because I care and I do a lot. I put a lot of work into my body, so I just have to continue to rehab and get it right.”

Holcomb will miss his third straight game due to an illness severe enough to keep him home and result in weight loss. The 29-year-old returned to practice Thursday but will remain sidelined this Sunday.

The sickness paused a feel-good comeback story for Holcomb, who missed the entire 2024 campaign after suffering multiple torn knee ligaments late in 2023.

Slay returned to practice on Friday as a limited participant for the first time since sustaining a concussion in Pittsburgh’s Week 10 loss. James Pierre could fill in for the veteran cornerback, who has 35 tackles and a fumble recovery in nine starts.

The Steelers also listed cornerback Cory Trice Jr. (hamstring/knee) and guard Isaac Seumalo (pectoral) as questionable for Sunday’s game after both players missed Friday’s practice. The Bengals received a massive blow to their defense when they ruled out Trey Hendrickson for the pivotal division showdown.

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