Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin listed six injured starters as his team prepares to host the Buffalo Bills in Week 13 this Sunday.
Two players have been ruled out and four more have their status up in the air as the Steelers enter their week of practice.
Left tackle Broderick Jones is out with a neck injury after suffering a stinger late in the game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Jones said he was fine after the game, but Tomlin quickly ruled him out for this week. Veteran Calvin Anderson replaced Jones on Sunday and is expected to do so again this week.
Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon is out with a knee injury that he suffered against the Bears. Harmon was able to finish the game, but Tomlin ruled him out as well. Fellow rookie Yahya Black will step up into Harmon’s starting role, with Esezi Otomewo, Brodric Martin and Logan Lee providing depth.
Tomlin said that he has “great optimism” for the status of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, after he missed last week with a broken left wrist. Rodgers did practice last week on both Thursday and Friday, but Tomlin decided on Saturday to go with Mason Rudolph instead. He said immediately after the loss to the Bears that he expects Rodgers to be able to return this week, and backed that up on Tuesday.
“We’re comfortable with his general trajectory,” Tomlin said. “But I’ll keep you updated. His level of participation and the quality of his participation over the course of the week will be the greatest indicator.”
Tomlin also expressed optimism toward the status of outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, who missed his second straight game with a pectoral injury. Highsmith suffered the injury early in the game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10. He played through the injury, but made it worse in doing so, causing him to miss both the team’s Week 11 and Week 12 games. He did return to practice last week and was listed as doubtful before missing the game against the Chicago Bears.
Two players that Tomlin said will be limited in practice are cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and wide receiver DK Metcalf. Both players were injured against the Bears. Metcalf returned to the game with an ankle injury, while Porter left and did not return after a hip injury.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Updates Status on Six Injured Steelers Starters
