The Pittsburgh Steelers head into Saturday’s rematch with the Baltimore Ravens with some good news, as star edge rusher T.J. Watt is expected to play despite being limited this week with an ankle injury suffered in Week 16. There was plenty of bad news to go with the good, however…
Here’s a full breakdown of Steelers' final injury designations with the team’s final practice of the week in the books, as well as their participation report for their final practice ahead of Week 16’s rematch against the Ravens.
Steelers injury designations for Week 16
Questionable: CB Donte Jackson (back), DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin)
Out: WR George Pickens (hamstring), QB Justin Fields (abdomen), S DeShon Elliott (hamstring)
Full practice report breakdown
DNP: WR George Pickens (hamstring), QB Justin Fields (abdomen)
Limited: CB Donte Jackson (back), S DeShon Elliott (hamstring), DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin)
Full: LB T.J. Watt (ankle)
*Note: Italics indicate a change from yesterday’s practice report
The most notable movement on the injury report is, of course, T.J. Watt’s upgraded status from a limited participant on Wednesday to a full participant on Thursday, without a final injury designation.
Also having received some positive updates are CB Donte Jackson and S DeShon Elliott, who logged their first limited practices of the week. Jackson is listed as questionable, while Elliott was downgraded to OUT as of Friday afternoon.
In Week 15, James Pierre played a season-high 49 snaps, playing in place of the injured Jackson. Should Jackson be inactive for this contest, fantasy managers could speculate that Week 16 would mark second-year CB Cory Trice Jr.’s first game active since Week 3, when he suffered an ankle injury that landed him on the injured reserve list. Though he was activated to the 53-man roster, he's been a healthy scratch over the last two weeks.
DT Larry Ogunjobi is also questionable for Week 16, though his status looks a bit brighter, having logged three limited practices this week since suffering a groin injury in Week 14. If he is active and is limited at all, we may continue to see plenty of rotation for Montravius Adams and Dean Lowry.
Star wide receiver George Pickens, unfortunately, did not make enough progress to go this week, officially listed as a DNP all three days of practice, though he did get some individual work in. Calvin Austin III led the team with 24 routes run in Pickens’ absence in Week 15, followed by Pat Freiermuth and Van Jefferson (each with 22) and Mike Williams with 15.
In the absence of Elliott last week, Minkah Fitzpatrick played a season-high 36 snaps out of the box at strong safety versus his usual spot at free safety. Meanwhile, Damontae Kazee took most of the snaps at free safety.
Fields’ absence will put Kyle Allen in as the backup quarterback behind Russell Wilson this week.
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