Behind the Steel Curtain
The Steelers placed safety and special teams ace Miles Killebrew on injured reserve ahead of the team’s Thursday Night Football matchup against the Bengals, the team announced.
Killebrew had already been ruled out of the game. He will have to miss at least four games now that he’s on IR. After suffering a no-contact knee injury in the Steelers’ Sunday win over the Cleveland Browns, head coach Mike Tomlin said it was “significant.” However, there aren’t any specifics on the severity yet.
The Steelers didn’t announce a corresponding roster addition with the move, meaning that team currently has one open spot on the 53-man roster ahead of game time. The Steelers had already spent several weeks with just 52 rostered players this season, however, so they might not be in a hurry.
Candidates to replace Killebrew on the roster could include linebacker Malik Harrison, who is currently on injured reserve but entered his 21-day return window on Monday. Besides his defensive play, Harrison has been a special teamer much of his career.
The Steelers also worked out veteran special teams ace George Odum on Tuesday. Like Killebrew, Odum has been an All-Pro in the third phase of the game in the past.
Killebrew is the Steelers special teams captain. He’s made two Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro since he signed with Pittsburgh in 2021.
