The Pittsburgh Steelers’ injury woes on defense continue in Week 15, as cornerback Donte Jackson went down in this contest against the Philadelphia Eagles with a back injury in the second quarter. Burt Lauten of Steelers PR confirms that Jackson has officially been downgraded as OUT with the injury. CB James Pierre entered the game in his relief.

Jackson left Week 14’s contest against the Cincinnati Bengals with a back injury and was labeled questionable to return, though he did make his way back to play the remainder of the game. He didn’t wind up on the injury report, however. Jackson allowed four catches on four targets in coverage prior to his departure for 35 yards and a score, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are already short in the secondary for this matchup, down safety DeShon Elliott, who’s been among the team’s most impactful players on defense in his first year with the team, particularly against the run.

Notably, the Steelers did not activate CB Cory Trice Jr. for this matchup, who hasn’t played since Week 3 after suffering a hamstring injury that landed him on IR. Despite being activated from injured reserve with the injury ahead of Week 14, he hasn’t been active in either of the team’s past two games.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a tight turnaround, playing on a short week with a Saturday game in Week 16, followed by a Wednesday game (Christmas Day) in Week 17, diminishing any potential extra recovery time.