CLEVELAND – For the second time in three games since the team acquired Mike Williams, wide receiver Scotty Miller was deemed a gameday inactive by the Pittsburgh Steelers for Thursday night’s game at the Cleveland Browns.
A six-year veteran who won a Super Bowl ring playing with Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, Miller generally has served as the WR4 during his first season with the Steelers. But the Nov. 5 trade for Williams made him expendable. The Steelers instead have chosen to deploy Ben Skowronek, mostly for his special-teams prowess.
Miller played seven snaps during Sunday’s win against the Baltimore Ravens. He has two catches on four targets for 31 yards this season.
The Steelers announced Wednesday that outside linebacker Alex Highsmith would miss a second consecutive game because of an ankle injury suffered 10 days prior late in a win at the Washington Commanders. Highsmith was the only player on the active roster who was unavailable because of injury.
Veteran running back Jonathan Ward and interior offensive lineman Max Scharping were healthy scratches. As usual, Kyle Allen served as the “emergency” No. 3 quarterback.
Ifedi at LT for Browns
With Jedrick Wills out because of a knee injury, veteran German Ifedi made his first start of the season with the Browns.
Ifedi is in his first year with Cleveland but was a starter in the NFL from 2016-22.
The only other player on Cleveland’s active roster who could not play Thursday because of injury was reserve tight end Geoff Swaim.
Veteran running back D’Onta Foreman and reserve cornerback Chigozie Anusiem were healthy inactives for the Browns. Veteran Bailey Zappe, who beat the Steelers as a starter for New England less than a year ago, was designated the No. 3 QB.