- Steelers rookie wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster has been ruled out of the team’s Sunday night matchup with Green Bay, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. (Twitter link). The first-year receiver from USC has been impressive in recent weeks, averaging 17.2 yards per reception and logging five touchdowns on the season. He will miss the game due to a hamstring injury.
The Steelers activated cornerback Cameron Sutton from injured reserve, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The 2017 third-round pick may finally make his NFL debut here in November. 
Sutton’s arrival comes at a good time as Joe Haden will likely be sidelined through at least Week 13. For now, Pittsburgh’s CB’s group is comprised of Artie Burns, Mike Hilton, William Gay, Coty Sensabaugh, Sutton, and fellow rookie Brian Allen.
At Tennessee, Sutton was a starter throughout his four-year collegiate career, setting a school-record in passes defended along the way. Unfortunately, he lost about half of his senior season to a broken ankle. Had he left school after his junior year, he probably would have gone higher in the draft. His potential loss is the Steelers’ gain, however, and they’ll finally find out what they have in their third-round selection.
After trouncing the Titans on Thursday night, the Steelers are tied with the Patriots at 8-2 for the AFC lead. Next up for Pittsburgh is a Sunday night tilt against the Packers.
Steelers offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert has been suspended four games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. In a statement, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert announced that Gilbert will not appeal the ban. 
This hasn’t been a banner year for Gilbert. Thanks to injuries, he has missed five of the team’s ten games to date. His PED suspension means that he will not be eligible to play again until Christmas against the Texans in Week 16.
Gilbert, 29, is signed through the 2019 season thanks to the five-year, $30MM extension he inked before the 2014 season. The Steelers discussed another extension with him prior to this season, but they ultimately did not agree to terms and the team may have second thoughts about a fresh deal given the way things have gone in recent months.
Last year, Pro Football Focus graded Gilbert as the NFL’s No. 11 tackle among 76 total qualifiers, painting him as one of the league’s very best right tackles. Heading into 2017, the former second-round pick started 75 games over six seasons in Pittsburgh.
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran Howard Balzer’s Twitter account (unless noted):
Cleveland Browns
- DBs Jacob Hagen, Ed Reynolds (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- LSs Drew Ferris, Ryan DiSalvo, Andrew East, Colin Holba (via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco)
Los Angeles Rams
- TE Henry Krieger-Coble; LB Kevin Snyder (link)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- S Jack Tocho (link)
San Francisco 49ers
- P Chase Tenpenny (link)
Steelers cornerback Joe Haden suffered a broken fibula in today’s victory over the Colts and will be sidelined indefinitely, head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters, including Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). However, Haden only has a “slight” fracture in his leg, and should be able to return following a three-week absence, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
While the most recent news on Haden’s status is positive, his loss will be felt in the Steelers’ secondary no matter how long he’s out. Haden, who agreed to a three-year deal with Pittsburgh after being released by the Browns earlier this year, has played nearly every defensive snap for the Steelers in 2017 while grading as the league’s No. 33 cornerback among 117 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. The 28-year-old Haden has been excellent while defending mostly deep passes, as he ranks fourth in average air yards of passes against, according to Football Outsiders.
With Haden unavailable, the Steelers will likely turn to veteran William Gay to start on the outside opposite Artie Burns, with Mike Hilton remaining in the slot. Coty Sensabaugh, who has yet to play a single defensive snap, could also see more time on defense, while rookie Cameron Sutton — who is close to returning from injured reserve — may contribute down the stretch.
If Pittsburgh wants to look outside the organization for another defensive back, Vontae Davis — recently cut by the Colts — could be one option. Contending teams are reportedly interested in adding Davis for the stretch run, and while the Steelers aren’t known to have contacted Davis, they’d make sense as a potential suitor. Of course, Davis’ injury status and poor play could dissuade general manager Kevin Colbert from inking the veteran.
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: S Derron Smith
- Cut: TE Scott Orndoff
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DT Joe Vellano
Indianapolis Colts
- Cut: CB Channing Stribling
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: OL Cole Toner
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OL Willie Beavers
- Cut: RB Bronson Hill
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Mike Purcell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Tre Sullivan
- Cut: LB Don Cherry
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: T Jake Rodgers
- Cut: WR Justin Thomas
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL Isaiah Battle
Jarvis Landry and Martavis Bryant do not look to be going anywhere as the trade deadline nears. Despite the Dolphins unloading Jay Ajayi and the Steelers deactivating Bryant in Week 8, the AFC squads will be hanging onto two of the bigger names to be thrown into trade rumors this month.
Adam Schefter reports Landry will not be traded today, while NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport said the same for Bryant (Twitter links). A report earlier today indicated the Dolphins were willing to part with Landry for the right price, but either that price hasn’t materialized or the Fins are determined to hang onto their fourth-year slot starter.
Rapoport, though, adds other teams tried to pry Bryant away from the Steelers. But the build-from-within-based organization does not appear eager to budge from its proclamation of holding onto Bryant. Rapoport reports multiple teams called the Steelers about Bryant, but he’ll have to work things out with the coaching staff in order to get back on the field.
Landry’s in the final year of his contract, and no substantial negotiations have reportedly taken place. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports Landry has not completely bought into the Adam Gase regime’s methods, and that may be causing friction between the sides. The Dolphins were once set to make a Landry extension a priority in the most recent offseason. The team is also anticipating a third- or fourth-round compensatory pick if Landry departs as a free agent, Salguero notes.
- Martavis Bryant has been informed he’s going to be part of the Steelers‘ Week 10 game plan, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports, continuing to squelch the notion the mercurial pass-catcher could be traded today. The Steelers have said they are not trading the fourth-year wide receiver, one who has another season remaining on his rookie contract since it tolled while he was suspended. Fowler notes Pittsburgh could get blown away by an offer but doesn’t see a trade coming.
- Steelers rookie cornerback Cameron Sutton returned to practice on Tuesday, the team announced. He remains on IR, and the Steelers have 21 days to activate the third-round pick. Pittsburgh has six cornerbacks on its active roster presently.
- The Steelers are ignoring Martavis Bryant‘s trade request and plan to continue ignoring it, according to Albert Breer of SI.com, which makes it sound as if Pittsburgh is going to try and make things work with its disgruntled but talented wideout. However, that has not stopped contending teams from inquiring on Bryant, according to Rapoport (video link), who suggests that the Steelers are willing to at least listen to offers. The Patriots are one potential landing spot, as they discussed trading for Bryant prior to the draft.
Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant says that he wants to be traded if he doesn’t get targeted more. It sounds like quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has gotten the message.
“Hopefully, it’s lots of touchdown passes,” Roethlisberger said (according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). “We need to get the ball to him, to everybody, we all need to score points. There are opportunities there. That’s why I told him to come talk to me. We’ve had opportunities with deep balls that were just missed whether it was me overthrowing him or it’s the Chicago game where he slows down a little bit or this last game where he doesn’t see the ball coming out of my hand. There are plays to be had. We just have to make them.”
However, Roethlisberger will have to wait a while before lobbing passes in Bryant’s direction. On Wednesday, the Steelers informed the wide receiver that he will not be active for Sunday’s game against Detroit. After that, the Steelers have their bye week, so Bryant’s next opportunity to play will not come until Sunday Nov. 12 against Indianapolis.
- The trade deadline is right around the corner and Patriots coach Bill Belichick says he’s not afraid to deal. “The thing about us, other teams in the league know that we’re open for business,” Belichick told WEEI. “We’re not afraid to make a trade. If they are interested in trading somebody, we are usually a team that gets called because people think and know we’re open on those discussions. If we’re not interested we will tell them we’re not interested. Again, there’s no book on that. Every situation is different. Every trade is different. Every exchange is different, so you just have to take them as they come and if the two sides can agree, great. Sometimes one side wants something and the other side is just not ready to get to the same point.” Teams have until Oct. 31 to make trades.
- Before he was released by the Jaguars, Branden Albert was asked to play guard since he was not going to win the left tackle job, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets. When he declined, Albert was shown the door. Presumably, his contract demands and flip-flopping on retirement did not help his case.
- On Wednesday, the Chargers shipped wide receiver Dontrelle Inman to the Bears.