Rico Dowdle practiced fully on Thursday, and Mike McCarthy made one thing clear: Jaylen Warren remains the Pittsburgh Steelers’ featured back. Dowdle has missed three games with a toe injury. In that stretch, Warren gave Pittsburgh every reason to rethink its backfield plan. More depth? Absolutely. A return to equal workloads? Warren hasn’t given them a reason for that.
The official October 15 injury report moved Dowdle from limited to full participation. Keeanu Benton (ankle) and Jalen Ramsey (wrist) returned to limited work after sitting Wednesday. Jamel Dean (ankle) and DeShon Elliott (knee) remained limited. T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward practiced fully after rest entries the day before. Roman Wilson (finger) and Ben Skowronek (calf) missed practice again, and McCarthy has already said both receivers will miss Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay.
Player | Position | Injury | Wed. | Thur. | Fri. | Game Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jalen Ramsey | CB | Wrist | DNP | LP | ||
Rico Dowdle | RB | Toe | LP | FP | ||
Jamel Dean | CB | Ankle | DNP | LP | ||
Cameron Heyward | DT | NIR/Rest | DNP | FP | ||
DeShon Elliott* | S | Knee | LP | LP | ||
Roman Wilson | WR | Finger | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
Ben Skowronek | WR | Calf | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
T.J. Watt | LB | NIR/Rest | LP | FP | ||
Keeanu Benton | DT | Ankle | DNP | LP |
Dowdle’s full practice gives the Steelers a better shot at having him available. It doesn’t put him in Sunday’s lineup (yet) or assign him half of Warren’s carries. McCarthy said Warren’s role won’t change. I’d hold him to that. Pittsburgh can use Dowdle without interrupting what its best offensive player has been doing.
Pittsburgh Steelers have room for Rico Dowdle without an even Jaylen Warren-split
Give Dowdle a chance to spell Warren if he’s active. With Wilson and Skowronek out and Michael Pittman Jr. on injured reserve, Pittsburgh may continue to lean heavily on Warren as both a runner and a receiving outlet. Another back could keep him fresh through a full game.
#Steelers HC Mike McCarthy on RB Jaylen Warren and what things will look like once Rico Dowdle returns:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 12, 2026
“Jaylen is our featured player right now. Let's make sure we all recognize that. He's hot. ... It’s important for us as an offense, coaches and players alike, to continue to… pic.twitter.com/ybFS9fqUJW
But Dowdle doesn't need a fixed share of touches before he plays a snap after his toe injury. He hasn't played since Atlanta. The offensive line is playing far better than it was in Week 2, which could be a welcome sight for a player who produced just 37 yards on 15 carries.
The defense got news it needed, too. Wednesday’s report kept Benton and Ramsey out of practice; both made it back Thursday. Benton’s progress is huge because Derrick Harmon’s injured-reserve stint already put more on Pittsburgh’s interior line. Benton’s limited work helps, though Heyward and the other tackles still need to be ready if his ankle restricts him.
Ramsey’s return gives Patrick Graham a better chance to keep his options at corner, slot, and safety. Dean’s second limited practice is another useful step after he missed the Colts game. Elliott could help at safety, but he remains on injured reserve and needs a roster activation before he can play. None of those practice labels settle Sunday’s lineup.
At receiver, offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio discussed deploying Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, and Robert Tonyan in different tight end packages. That gives Aaron Rodgers ways to work around the shortage while Pittsburgh decides whether to elevate practice squad receiver Brandon Smith.
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