It sounds like DeMarvin Leal‘s season has come to an end. The Steelers announced that they’ve placed the defensive lineman on injured reserve.
Leal suffered a neck injury last Sunday that limited him to only 12 snaps. Per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the defender is expected to miss the rest of the 2024 campaign.
The former third-round pick has spent most of this season serving as a linebacker while helping to fill in for the injured Alex Highsmith. Leal mostly played defensive end through his first two seasons in the NFL, starting six of his 23 appearances. In total, the third-year player has collected 33 tackles, one sack, and three QB hits.
In corresponding moves, the Steelers signed linebacker Ade Ogundeji to the 53-man roster and promoted linebacker Eku Leota and running back Jonathan Ward from the practice squad. Ogundeji caught on with Pittsburgh’s practice squad at the end of August and is set to make his season debut. The former fifth-round pick started his career in Atlanta, collecting 75 tackles in 27 starts. He missed the entire 2023 campaign with a foot/ankle injury.
There was also some good news on the injury front this morning. The Steelers removed Jaylen Warren from the injury report, meaning the running back should be back on the field for Week 6. Warren missed Week 4 and Week 5 while nursing a knee injury, and he’ll now rejoin a depth chart that’s co-led by Najee Harris.
I hope Warren is healthy enough to play meaningful snaps and if so they give them to him. Najee isn’t the answer this year or in the seasons to come and Tomlin’s vision of his offense will only work with a RB who averages over 4 yards a carry.
Tomlin’s vision of the offense is outdated in today’s football. Even with defense as good as the Steelers. You can’t play offense not to turnover. This is why the Steelers offense stinks since Baconburgher retired.
Tomlin is simply to conservative and is to arrogant to change. I wish Rooney wouldn’t of give him an extension.
Pittsburgh 3 major sports franchises suffer from mismanagement at the manager and coaching ranks.
Pirates…. Shelton is the biggest loser in recent pirate history.
Penguins…Sullivan is as good as his players. And he continues to play old guys.
Tomlin….he’s arrogant and has too much power.
The Steelers offense is Chuck Noll’s, not Tomlin’s. It’s been the same for 45 years, not 20. The whole “win with defense and control the clock with offense” philosophy originated from the Steel Curtain and continued through Cowher and Tomlin’s time most likely as an unofficial mandate from the Rooneys. Please stop complaining about it and blaming Tomlin on every Steelers post.