Former WVU safety, 1st-round pick Karl Joseph making Steelers debut vs. Broncos

Down a member of the secondary because of injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers turned to former West Virginia star Karl Joseph to add depth to their secondary.

A former first-round pick, Joseph made his Steelers debut in the win against the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Heinz Field. A safety by trade, Joseph effectively took the gameday spot of cornerback Cameron Sutton, who is not in uniform because of a groin injury.

Joseph was called up from the practice squad for the game. Teams are permitted to use two “call-ups” per player from the practice squad per season. The Steelers elected to deploy Joseph in lieu of the active-rostered Ahkello Witherspoon, a cornerback for whom they traded at the end of training camp.

Joseph played a handful of snaps on defense in a dime package.

The No. 14 overall pick of the Raiders in 2016, Joseph started for the Cleveland Browns last season, including in their playoff win at Heinz Field when he had a touchdown falling on Maurkice Pouncey’s errant snap on the first play from scrimmage of a wild-card playoff game.

Sutton had previously been announced as out for Sunday’s game, as was receiver James Washington. Washington suffered a groin injury during Thursday’s practice. They joined defensive lineman Carlos Davis as Steelers who were inactive because of injury. Davis missed his fourth consecutive game because of a knee injury.

The Steelers’ healthy scratches were Witherspoon, No. 3 quarterback Dwayne Haskins and rookie linebacker Buddy Johnson.

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