We’ve made it to Week 5 of the NFL regular season. Tonight on Sunday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game featuring two of the most storied franchises in league history.
The Cowboys are coming into this one with a few extra days of rest after defeating the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football in Week 4. Last week, the Steelers lost their first game of the season to the Indianapolis Colts, 27-24.
How healthy is each team going into the matchup, and who are the inactives?
Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Inactives
Cowboys’ Inactives
- CB Caelen Carson
- DE KJ Henry
- QB Trey Lance
- LB Micah Parsons
- TE John Stephens
- RB Deuce Vaughn
- OT Matt Waletzko
Steelers’ Inactives
- LB Alex Highsmith
- RB Cordarrelle Patterson
- TE MyCole Pruitt
- OG Max Scharping
- RB Jaylen Warren
- WR Roman Wilson
- QB Russell Wilson
Latest Injury News and Updates
During the Steelers’ Week 3 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers, Warren was pulled from the game after injuring his knee. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin explained why Warren exited the game while speaking to reporters after the win.
“Jaylen Warren wasn’t able to finish here late in the second half. I pulled him from the game. It just didn’t look like he was running smoothly,” Tomlin explained. “We will have to evaluate him.”
Tomlin told reporters that Warren’s current knee issue is unrelated to his previous hamstring strain that he suffered during the preseason. Now, with Patterson also out, the Steelers won’t have much backfield depth tonight against the Cowboys.
Aside from starter Najee Harris, Pittsburgh will rely on Aaron Shampklin, a former Harvard running back who went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. Shampklin has a wild story, as he was working as a substitute teacher last year at Perry Lindsey Academy in Long Beach while waiting on an NFL opportunity.
For the Cowboys, they’ll be without one of the best defenders in the NFL since Parsons is out with an ankle injury that he suffered last week against the Giants. Meanwhile, Cooks was recently put on injured reserve (IR), meaning he’ll miss at least four games. Cooks is dealing with an infection that occurred after a procedure he underwent last week.
While CeeDee Lamb will obviously continue to be Dallas’ WR1, the Cowboys will need Jalen Tolbert, KaVonate Turpin, Jalen Brooks, and Ryan Flournoy to step up in Cooks’ absence. Also, expect tight end Jake Ferguson to get even more targets than usual.
Who Comprises the Projected Starting Lineup for Each Team?
Cowboys’ Projected Starters
The projected starting lineup is based on the current Cowboys depth chart.
- Quarterback: Dak Prescott
- Running Back: Ezekiel Elliott
- Wide Receiver: CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, KaVonate Turpin
- Tight End: Jake Ferguson
- Left Offensive Tackle: Tyler Guyton
- Left Offensive Guard: Tyler Smith
- Center: Cooper Beebe
- Right Offensive Guard: Zack Martin
- Right Offensive Tackle: Terence Steele
- Left Defensive End: Marshawn Kneeland
- Left Defensive Tackle: Osa Odighizuwa
- Right Defensive Tackle: Mazi Smith
- Right Defensive End: DeMarcus Lawrence
- Linebacker: Eric Kendricks, DeMarvion Overshown
- Left Cornerback: Trevon Diggs
- Right Cornerback: Caelen Carson
- Free Safety: Malik Hooker
- Strong Safety: Donovan Wilson
- Kicker: Brandon Aubrey
- Punter: Bryan Anger
- Long Snapper: Trent Sieg
- Kickoff/Punt Returner: KaVontae Turpin
Steelers’ Projected Starters
The projected starting lineup is based on the current Steelers depth chart.
- Quarterback: Justin Fields
- Running Back: Najee Harris
- Wide Receiver: George Pickens, Van Jefferson
- Tight End: Pat Freiermuth
- Left Offensive Tackle: Dan Moore Jr.
- Left Offensive Guard: Isaac Seumalo
- Center: Zach Frazier
- Right Offensive Guard: Spencer Anderson
- Right Offensive Tackle: Broderick Jones
- Defensive End: Larry Ogunjobi
- Defensive Tackle: Cameron Hayward
- Nose Tackle: Keeanu Benton
- Left Inside Linebacker: Elandon Roberts
- Left Outside Linebacker: T.J. Watt
- Right Inside Linebacker: Patrick Queen
- Right Outside Linebacker:Nick Herbig
- Left Cornerback: Joey Porter Jr.
- Right Cornerback: Donte Jackson
- Free Safety: Minkah Fitzpatrick
- Strong Safety: DeShon Elliott
- Kicker: Chris Boswell
- Punter: Corliss Waitman
- Long Snapper: Christian Kuntz
- Kickoff Returner: Cordarrelle Patterson
- Punt Returner: Calvin Austin III