Steelers trying to figure out which OLBs will be available to play against Bengals

The two players listed ahead of him on the depth chart at outside linebacker are dealing with groin injuries. So are cornerback Joe Haden and inside linebacker Devin Bush, who each didn’t play in Week 2 for the Pittsburgh Steelers because of the same issue.

Don’t ask Melvin Ingram III, one of the few healthy linebackers on the roster, if that particular malady is becoming contagious among defensive players.

“Ain’t nothing contagious,” Ingram said Thursday. “We’ve got to make winning contagious. That’s the only thing we want to be contagious.”

The chance of the Steelers accomplishing that goal — and rebounding from a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders — hinges in part on the availability of the players missing from the second level of the defense.

When the Steelers play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Heinz Field, they could be without NFL Defensive Player of the Year runner-up T.J. Watt, who left before halftime against the Raiders when he tweaked his groin, and fellow starter Alex Highsmith, who surfaced on the injury report this week.

For the second consecutive day Thursday, Highsmith did not practice and Watt was a limited participant.

“You always wish you had your starters,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “There is a reason they are starters and are paid big money. They have shown they can do it in this league. Guys behind them are unknowns. You can’t guarantee anything. We don’t know what is going to happen until we get ready to line up and play. We’re trying to do the best we can with what we’ve got.”

What the Steelers know they have available at outside linebacker for the Bengals are Ingram, a 10-year veteran who is in his first season with the organization, and first-year player Jamir Jones, who went undrafted in 2020.

With Watt and Highsmith each potentially missing the Bengals game, it heightens the Steelers’ decision in July to sign Ingram to a one-year, $4 million contract.

“I don’t know if you can have enough of those guys,” Butler said. “With what we’ve got right now, we’ll see how Jamir does, too. All of those guys, there are some ifs there.”

Ingram had five pressures of Buffalo’s Josh Allen in the season-opening win, and he had six more pressures against Derek Carr, including his first sack with the Steelers, while playing 86% of the defensive snaps Sunday.

“To rely on a guy like that who knows what he’s doing and is sound in what he’s doing is pretty solid,” defensive captain Cameron Heyward said.

When the Steelers signed the 32-year-old Ingram, it was to push Highsmith, in his second NFL season, for snaps while subbing in for Watt on occasion. Two games into his Steelers career, his playing time has exceeded expectations. Not that Ingram is bothered by it.

“That’s cool,” he said. “I’ve done it before.”

Jones, who beat out Cassius Marsh for the fourth outside linebacker spot, played 15 snaps against the Raiders after taking the field just once against Buffalo. He has chipped in two tackles and a quarterback hit.

“I’m very comfortable with him,” Ingram said. “There’s a reason why he’s here. He’s a great player and when he gets his opportunity, he’s going to get the job done.”

Having just two healthy outside linebackers, of course, nullifies any chance of using a rotation to give one of the pass rushers some rest for a few snaps. One option would be for the Steelers to elevate newly signed Taco Charlton from the practice squad.

Butler said Charlton, who has played in two-point and three-point stances in his four-year career, is suited to play outside linebacker in the Steelers’ 3-4 defense. He took part in his second practice Thursday with the Steelers.

“He’s still learning,” Butler said. “I don’t want to throw him in there. If we throw him in there, we better limit what we call in there and teach him a few defenses if we can.”