Steelers DL Isaiahh Loudermilk
Getty
The Steelers placed DL Isaiahh Loudermilk on IR with an injury, among other Week 3 roster moves.
The 2025-26 season is in full swing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and with that comes constant roster turnover. Most players on the organizational depth chart are firmly entrenched, but there’s always room for movement on the fringes.
Injuries also add even more drama to that dynamic. That’s what the team is dealing with ahead of its Week 3 contest against the New England Patriots.
The Steelers announced a multitude of transactions on Wednesday morning. Kicking things off, it’s bad news for Teryl Austin’s defense.
Steelers Place Isaiahh Loudermilk on IR & Promote DeMarvin Leal
Defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk is going on the injured reserve list. In a corresponding move, DeMarvin Leal was signed from the practice squad to the active roster.
The Loudermilk news shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Speaking to the media on September 16, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed that his high-ankle sprain would take weeks to heal.
“Loudermilk will be out, he has a high-ankle sprain,” Tomlin said. “That could be described as weeks. Alex Highsmith, he has a lesser significance, but at the same time, he has an ankle sprain as well. He could be described as out as well. We had some guys that got banged up in-game that may limit them at the early portions of the week but should not eliminate them from participation. Some of those guys include Patrick Queen with an oblique and [Darius] Slay with a shoulder.”
This is a noteworthy loss for the Steelers, as Loudermilk was already helping fill the void left by rookie Derrick Harmon (knee injury). The former fifth-round pick played 37 defensive snaps in Pittsburgh’s first two games of the season. In those contests, Loudermilk failed to log any meaningful statistics but factored into run fits on defense.
One man’s misfortune could be another’s silver lining. Leal, a 2022 Steelers third-round pick, never lived up to his potential in his first three seasons. Now in year four, he was waived at roster cutdowns but found his way back to the team. The former Texas A&M standout, who has 33 career tackles, will provide depth for the time being.
Pittsburgh Makes Trio of Practice Squad Signings Official
The Loudermilk-for-Leal swap isn’t the only set of moves general manager Omar Khan has in mind. The Steelers are shuffling their practice squad picture around, signing three players to the group. Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins and tight end Matt Sokol are new members of the organization.
Bentley, like safety Jabrill Peppers (who was recently signed), comes over from New England. In seven seasons with the Patriots, he logged 509 tackles (21 for loss) with 29 quarterback hits and 10.5 sacks. He’s a Super Bowl-winning linebacker who was hosted for a visit on Tuesday. Bentley played just two games last season before suffering an injury.
The Hodgins pickup was reported on Tuesday afternoon. A big-bodied wideout with ample experience, he’ll insulate the practice squad. With Robert Woods, Lance McCutcheon and Rakim Jarrett moving on, this is a wise signing for Pittsburgh.
Sokol is also a former Patriot, as well as a one-time member of the Los Angeles Chargers and other teams. He joined Pittsburgh last summer and stuck around on the practice squad beginning in November. He ultimately found his way to the Buffalo Bills for this year’s training camp, only to be released in August. He’s played 53 offensive snaps and 37 special teams snaps in his career.
A franchise’s work is truly never done, which the Steelers are making clear as Sunday’s game approaches and the season rolls on.