Steelers Face Unwelcome Bengals Reinforcements As 3 Important Players Return From IR

The Pittsburgh Steelers may see a few familiar faces back in the Cincinnati Bengals lineup on Sunday night. With a first-place showdown in the AFC North just days away, the Bengals cleared three players on injured reserve to return to practice, including a cornerback who was hurt in the first meeting between the teams. All three practiced in full on Thursday, so Cincinnati could get some help in the secondary, at receiver and on the offensive line before kickoff at Paycor Stadium.

The Bengals designated cornerback Jalen Davis and wide receiver Andrei Iosivas to return from injured reserve on Thursday, and they also cleared rookie guard Brian Parker II to practice. The team announced the moves on Bengals.com, explaining that the three players can now practice for up to 21 days without counting against the 53-man active roster. Cincinnati can activate any of them at any point during that window.

Davis is a sixth-year cornerback who went on injured reserve on Sept. 29 with a hamstring injury. That injury happened against the Steelers. Davis missed the second half of Pittsburgh's 30-27 win in Week 3, according to FOX19, and he has not played since.

Iosivas, a fourth-year receiver, went on injured reserve on Sept. 26 with a thumb injury, the day before that first meeting. Parker, a rookie guard out of Duke, has been on injured reserve since Aug. 30 with a knee injury and has not played an NFL snap.

Steelers Will Watch Bengals Injury Report Closely

The Thursday practice report showed all three players as full participants, according to the official injury report posted by Steelers.com. That does not guarantee any of them will play on Sunday. The Bengals can activate them at any point in the 21-day window, and they could wait another week to make sure each player is ready.

Davis would be the most notable addition for the Steelers to plan around. Cincinnati's secondary had a rough day in the first meeting. Aaron Rodgers threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns, and DK Metcalf said this week that the Steelers exploited the Bengals whenever they played man coverage. Having Davis available again would give Cincinnati another option in the nickel against Pittsburgh's receivers.

Iosivas would add depth to a receiver room that is already dangerous. The Bengals have been feeding Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins during a four-game winning streak in which they have scored at least 31 points every week. Iosivas has scored against the Steelers before, and his return would make it harder for Pittsburgh to load up its coverage on the two stars.

Rookie safety Robert Spears-Jennings, who has been splitting time in the Steelers' nickel package, said after practice on Thursday that he knows what Cincinnati wants to do, according to Steelers.com's Mike Prisuta.

"They're trying to take the top off, for sure. Watching their tape, all those guys are very explosive. Ja'Marr, 'T-Higgs,' their performance these last four weeks, it's kind of impressive," Spears-Jennings said.

The Bengals' Thursday report was not all good news for Cincinnati. Safety Kyle Dugger did not practice for a second straight day because of a quadriceps injury, and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was held out for rest. Dugger also got hurt in the Week 3 loss to Pittsburgh. Guard Dylan Fairchild (pectoral) and cornerback DJ Turner II (ankle) were both full participants after being limited on Wednesday.

The Steelers have their own good injury news. Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon was limited for a second straight day after returning from injured reserve, and Head Coach Mike McCarthy said Harmon "hit the number" the team was looking for in his first practice back. SteelerNation covered the promising news on Harmon's return on Wednesday. Harmon made the game-sealing sack and forced fumble on Joe Burrow in the first meeting.

Both teams enter Sunday at 6-2, and the winner will hold sole possession of first place in the AFC North. The Steelers already have the first head-to-head win. Friday's injury reports will show whether the Bengals plan to activate any of their three returning players, and the final decisions could come as late as Saturday afternoon.

This story was produced with the help of AI and reviewed by SteelerNation editors.

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