The Bears' defense took a major hit on the injury report this week, with all three starting linebackers ruled out for Sunday's matchup against Pittsburgh. They're not alone on the injury front, though, as the Steelers are dealing with a few notable injuries on their defensive line.
Alex Highsmith, who is third on the team with 5.5 sacks, is listed as doubtful with a pec injury. Barring a miraculous development, he won't play. They could also be without one of their defensive leaders in Cameron Heyward.
Steelers Week 12 Friday injury/participation report versus Bears #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/XKXAOrBVRW
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) November 21, 2025
With 1.5 sacks through ten games, Heyward hasn't had as much of an impact in the stat sheets as years past. However, his impact on their defensive line goes far beyond sack production. He consistently opens up opportunities for those playing beside him and is still capable of wrecking an opponent's gameplan.
The top NFL defensive tackles in Week 10, according to PFSN's Defense Impact Metric ⤵
87.1 | Jalen Carter, Eagles
86.9 | Tershawn Wharton, Panthers
86.7 | Cameron Heyward, Steelers
85.7 | Zach Allen, Broncos
85.5 | Jowon Briggs, Jets
85.3 | Mason Graham, Browns
84.9 | Travis… pic.twitter.com/2vVMOjDl6H
— PFSN (@PFSN365) November 14, 2025
Most teams would crumble without two starters along the defensive line. With that said, the Steelers have incredible depth across their front seven. Highsmith is third on the team in sacks, as Nick Herbig leads the team with 6.5, and Watt ranks second with 6.
Losing Heyward would deal a heftier blow to the interior, especially in terms of their ability to slow down Chicago's second-ranked rushing offense. They do have two highly drafted players there in 2023 second-round selection Keeanu Benton, who is in the midst of a breakout year with 4.5 sacks, and 2025 first-round pick Derrick Harmon. You could make a strong case that they have the league's most stacked defensive line from top to bottom.
Meanwhile, Chicago's offense should be relatively healthy coming into the matchup. Theo Benedet, who is listed as questionable with a quad injury, is the only starter with an injury designation. However, he was limited in practice both yesterday and today and seems every bit like the type to play through such a thing.
#Bears Friday Injury Report pic.twitter.com/FGsLSftEjQ
— Bears Communications (@BearsPR) November 21, 2025
With the Bears' linebacking corps decimated with injuries, the Steelers certainly have the edge in the war of attrition. However, even with great depth, their defensive line could take a hit if both are forced to miss the game.