Steelers catch a pair of big breaks on the injury front just hours before kick-off against the Cincinnati Bengals on TNF

The Steelers can’t afford to squander the opportunity they have in front of them.

John Sheeran, Rob Gregson
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Oct 12, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin before the game at Acrisure Stadium.
Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

If we know anything about AFC North matchups, it’s that they are totally unpredictable. Add in a quarterback who has been with his team for a little over a week, and things are sure to get weird in primetime.

And for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the exact game they are walking into has not been kind to them. In the Super Bowl era, the team is 0-8 all-time when facing division opponents on the road on Thursday night football.

So the game against the Cincinnati Bengals is certainly a trap game. The good news for the Steelers, however, is that one of their best defenders will be ready to go, while the same can’t be said for the Bengals.

DeShon Elliott set to play for Steelers vs. Bengals

There was some concern leading up to Thursday afternoon that Elliott might miss the game after he didn’t travel with the team on Wednesday and was dealing with a personal issue. Instead, it was reported by the team that Elliott carries no designation and is set to play for the Steelers.

“S DeShon Elliott arrived today in Cincinnati and will be upgraded to not have a game status designation. He is expected to play tonight,” said Burt Lauten of Steelers PR in a post on X-Twitter.

It’s not a coincidence that after Elliott went down early in Week 1, the Steelers’ run defense looked like water through a sieve. Since his return, the team has not allowed a 100-yard rusher, and everything has been smoother on the backend. His presence will be felt on Thursday.

As for the presence of Trey Hendrickson, not so much.

Trey Hendrickson out for Steelers game

“Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson (questionable, back) is expected to be out tonight vs. Steelers, per source,” wrote ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on X-Twitter. “Wanted to play but tough on short turnaround, hopeful for next week.”

Losing Hendrickson is a big blow to the Bengals’ defense. Undoubtedly their best player, I previewed what Cincinnati would do in such a scenario with John Sheeran of A to Z Sports Cincy earlier this week:

“Myles Murphy will play plenty in his place, and you could expect to see Stewart moved inside in obvious passing situations. Golden has not been hesitant to blitz linebackers and show pressure before dropping edges into coverage, though the success has been limited with that strategy. He hasn’t had to cook up pressure without his All-Pro, so this could be a big test. Rushing four without him doesn’t seem like the move.” – Sheeran

But just because the Steelers have caught a few breaks doesn’t mean they are out of the woods just yet. We’ll see if they can correct course, or if history prevails on Thursday night.

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