In last week’s thrilling, must-win victory over the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers were already shorthanded. Safety Kyle Dugger was sidelined with a hand injury, while defensive lineman Derrick Harmon missed his second consecutive game due to a knee issue.
The injury situation worsened during the game, as several players were forced to exit. Darnell Washington, Malik Harrison, and Andrus Peat each left with concussions, while Keeanu Benton and Patrick Queen were shaken up but were able to return.
As the week progressed, the practice injury report became a lengthy list of names, highlighted by an unfortunate setback to star pass rusher T.J. Watt. Watt suffered an incidental injury that required surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung sustained during a dry-needling session. He has been ruled out, with his return timeline still to be determined. Despite the setbacks, Pittsburgh is expected to get a few key players back for Monday night’s game.
Darnell Washington among several Pittsburgh Steelers players expected to return against the Dolphins
Several players who were injured last week have already been ruled out for Monday night. Andrus Peat exited the game early against Baltimore and was unable to return, and he will remain unavailable for this matchup. James Pierre was also banged up in that game and, despite finishing, has been ruled out for Monday as well. As mentioned earlier, star pass rusher T.J. Watt is also out, and there is still no clear timetable for when he may return.
There is some optimism elsewhere on the injury report. Derrick Harmon, who has missed the past two games while dealing with a knee injury, is listed as questionable and could make his return. Safety Kyle Dugger is expected to be back in the starting lineup after missing last week’s game. Tight end Darnell Washington has cleared concussion protocol after leaving last week’s game and is on track to play Monday night.
One of the more concerning situations from last week appears to have resolved itself, as DK Metcalf is expected to play. Metcalf remained in a Baltimore hospital following the game as a precaution due to an abdominal injury, but all signs point to him being available.
With the Steelers' injury report stretching across much of the roster throughout the week, there was growing concern about who would be available for this must-win game against the Dolphins. Since the game is being played on Monday night, final injury designations will not be announced until just a few hours before kickoff.