Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin revealed during his Tuesday press conference that he’s optimistic that wide receiver Calvin Austin III (hamstring), cornerback Brandin Echols (groin), cornerback James Pierre (calf) and left guard Isaac Seumalo (triceps) will return for Sunday night’s winner-take-all Week 18 game against the Baltimore Ravens.
In addition to those four players, Tomlin also likes All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt’s chances of returning on Sunday night.
Austin, Echols, Pierre, Seumalo and Watt were all limited participants at Wednesday’s practice. That’s an encouraging sign at the early portion of the week.
Watt has missed the last three games after suffering a partially collapsed lung on Dec. 10.
“I’m more optimistic this week than I’ve been in previous weeks,” Tomlin said on Tuesday about Watt’s status for Sunday night.
Watt’s injury reportedly followed him undergoing a dry needling procedure at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex after a workout on a players’ off day. He was quickly hospitalized and had a procedure to correct the injury.
Tomlin said that full practice participation in practice this week for Watt “would be more comforting,” but didn’t call it a necessity. Tomlin also said that he would consider playing him, even if he could only have a limited role.
Tomlin added that they’re treating Watt’s condition differently than an injury situation, as it’s a medical circumstance. Watt was a limited participant in all three practices last week.
Seumalo suffered the triceps injury in the team’s Week 15 win over the Miami Dolphins. Seumalo has missed the last two games due to the injury. He was a limited participant in all three practices last week.
Seumalo dealt with a pectoral ailment earlier in the season. Including against Miami, Seumalo has played in 13 games this season, starting all of them. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, who drafted him in the third round in 2016. He started over 60 games during that stretch with the Eagles.
Spencer Anderson made his second consecutive start at left guard on Sunday against Cleveland, with Andrus Peat filling in when Anderson was used as the tight end in the team’s jumbo package.
Tight end Darnell Washington, who underwent surgery for his broken arm, was placed on injured reserve with a broken left wrist. Anderson is expected to replace Washington at tight end in the jumbo package, so Seumalo returning would make things easier.
Austin and Echols were both injured in the team’s Week 16 win over the Detroit Lions. Neither returned to action after their injuries. Austin and Echols both did not practice last week and were out for Sunday’s game against the Browns.
The Steelers certainly need Austin back, as the wide receiver corps struggled mightily against Cleveland without DK Metcalf, who’s serving a two-game suspension after getting into an altercation with a Lions fan in Week 16.
Pierre missed his third straight game this past Sunday with a calf injury he suffered against the Baltimore Ravens in Week...
