Steelers injury report: Two notable wide receivers did not practice Wednesday

The Steelers were one of the healthiest teams in the league entering the bye week, but several players showed up on the injury report from Wednesday.

It’s hard to complain too much about the injuries Pittsburgh has suffered this year compared to other NFL teams. Though a few more names showed up on the injury report for Wednesday, none of the additional players on the injury list should miss playing come Sunday’s game with the Eagles.

More than likely, only two Steelers should miss any playing time in Week 5. Those are the Steelers that had existing injuries right after the game with the Texans. Furthermore, the lack of injuries should hopefully help the Steelers top a weak Eagles team which is currently 1-2-1. They managed to topple the 49ers on Monday night. However, San Francisco’s rash of injuries cost them the game with the Eagles. Look for another Pittsburgh victory this Sunday.

Here are the latest Steelers injuries headed into week five:

Diontae Johnson WR: Questionable (toe)

Diontae Johnson had suffered a concussion during the game with the Texans. Thankfully with the unexpected bye week, Johnson has cleared the concussion protocol. He still has a nagging toe injury from earlier this season. The Steelers held him out of practice on Wednesday as well. Despite the toe injury, he has managed to play. While still listed as questionable as of Wednesday, look for him to suit up this Sunday.

JuJu Smith-Schuster WR: Questionable (knee)

JuJu’s injury is a late addition to the injury report between the Texan’s game and today. He did not practice Wednesday. That said, there is no indication this injury should keep him off the field Sunday, and it seems that holding him out of practice was merely a precaution. We should know more later this week. If he practices Thursday or Friday, that would be an indication he will play. We should know more about his status later this week.

Marcus Allen S: Questionable (Plantar Fasciitis)

Still suffering from heel spurs, his official designation is questionable. Given the fact, heel spurs can be quite painful it is quite possible he may miss the game against the Eagles. Heel spurs often do not heal quickly. Don’t expect him to play, although he could be a game-time decision.

Joe Haden CB: Questionable (illness)

No specific word as to the nature of the illness, but it’s a safe assumption it is not COVID; otherwise, there would have been more coverage in the media.  It’s hard to say the specific nature of the illness at this point, yet it seems unlikely he would not play this Sunday. If he returns to practice before Saturday, then it may not be anything serious.

Derek Watt FB: Questionable (hamstring)

Thanks to Derek’s hamstring, he is the one player you should not expect to play against the Eagles. He had a grade 2 hamstring strain, which can last up to four weeks. It seems unlikely Derek has recovered enough to play this week despite the questionable listing.

Even with some injuries, it seems unlike many will miss playing time with the exception of Derek Watt. This should allow the Steelers to knock off the Eagles. However, if JuJu and Johnson can not play, look for the Steelers passing game to falter allowing the game to be much closer than it should be. As always you can review the latest on all game-related injuries here.