Nov 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) warms up for a game against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steelers Star Suffers Knee Injury Before Dolphins Game

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Dec 12, 2025 5:30 PM ET

Another member of the Pittsburgh Steelers ' defensive line is dealing with an injury ahead of the team's Week 15 primetime game against the Miami Dolphins.

Cameron Heyward (knee) did not participate in practice after not being listed on the first injury report of the week yesterday, potentially complicating his availability against the Dolphins.

The Steelers have yet to release game designations for this week's contest, but Heyward's level of participation bears watching in anticipation of a matchup vs. Miami at Acrisure Stadium that carries massive playoff implications for both sides.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Heyward's Prior Injuries

Heyward has not missed a game yet this season, though he did fight through an ankle injury before the Steelers' Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears.

The 26-year-old has remained remarkably healthy for the majority of his 15-year career, though, as he's appeared in 15 or more contests in every full season of his career outside of 2023 (11) and 2016 (seven). He suffered a groin injury in the most recent of those two years while tearing his pectoral muscle in the latter.

State of Steelers' Interior D-Line

As previously mentioned, Pittsburgh's defensive line is ravaged by injuries at the moment.

Outside of Heyward, Keeanu Benton (ankle) was listed as a limited participant on the latest rendition of the Steelers' injury report while a pair of rookies in Derrick Harmon (knee) and Yahya Black (shoulder) did not practice.

Given that those four players have received a vast majority of the Steelers' snaps up front when healthy this season, the team might have to call on some of their depth options and hand them enhanced roles against the Dolphins.

That's not to say the likes of Heyward, Benton, Harmon and Black won't ultimately suit up, but the unit is still in a bit of a precarious situation. Even if all or most of that quartet do play, there's no guarantee they'll receive a workload or be operating at 100 percent health.

With that in mind, it wouldn't come as a surprise if Logan Lee, Esezi Otomewo and Brodric Martin-Rhodes all see the field vs. Miami.

Martin-Rhodes has appeared in just one game for Pittsburgh thus far after signing with the organization in November, logging 10 defensive snaps in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills while Harmon was out with his injury.

Otomewo has played 56 snaps over the past two weeks with Harmon out, and there's every reason to believe he'll remain a key piece of the Steelers' rotation on the defensive line if the group has some absences.

Lee, meanwhile, made his first appearance since Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens last weekend and logged 14 defensive snaps.

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