NFL Suspends Injured Steelers DT

How Ekuale's Suspension Will Work

Even though Ekuale will not step back onto the field for the remainder of the campaign while he's on the mend, he will still serve his suspension on IR.

He won't receive any pay during that period, though, which will last through Week 17 and thus end once Week 18 arrives.

Ekuale's Injury

As previously mentioned, Ekuale's injury occurred in a primetime showdown vs. the Packers at Acrisure Stadium in Week 8.

It first play of a Packers drive from their own 26-yard line in the second quarter, which resulted in an incomplete pass by Jordan Love.

Ekuale remained down on the field and was slow to get up. The Steelers' medical staff went out to check on him, and though he was able to walk off under his own power without any extra assistance, he immediately went into the blue medical tent.

He left a short while after and headed into Pittsburgh's locker room. Ekuale was originally deemed doubtful to return to that contest before later being ruled out for the remainder of it.

Ekuale's Season and Pittsburgh's D-Line Depth

Ekuale, who signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh worth $2.8 million as a free agent this past offseason, ended up logging just 72 snaps, or 14 percent of the team's available reps, when healthy while posting six tackles, a quarterback hit and a pass defended.

The 31-year-old didn't hold much of a role on special teams either, garnering just three reps in that facet of the game.

A majority of the Steelers' snaps along the interior of the defensive line have, unsurprisingly, gone to Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon.

Heyward, who was a first-team All-Pro in 2024, has recorded 43 tackles and 1.5 sacks while receiving 545 defensive reps. Benton has played 505 reps and put up 34 tackles with 4.5 sacks, while rookie first-rounder Harmon has 22 tackles and 2.0 sacks to his name over 331 reps after missing the first two games of the season with a knee injury.

Rookie fifth-rounder Yahya Black has emerged as Pittsburgh's top reserve option with 11 tackles and a forced fumble across 224 snaps, while the likes of Esezi Otomewo (48 snaps) and Logan Lee (17 snaps) have played sparingly.