The Pittsburgh Steelers are opening the season with an almost spotless injury report, while quarterback trouble in Atlanta and A.J. Brown’s ankle injury in New England could weaken each of their first two opponents.
Joey Porter Jr. is Pittsburgh’s only listed injury. The cornerback was limited Wednesday and Thursday with the back issue that cost him most of training camp, but the official participation report lists everybody else as a full participant.
Yes, Porter’s back remaining troublesome after his extension failed to materialize invites an easy wisecrack -- and there have been plenty. But there’s no evidence the contract situation and injury are connected, and Friday’s game designation will provide a better indication of whether he can suit up against Atlanta.
Tua Tagovailoa and A.J. Brown injuries remove major threats for Pittsburgh Steelers
Atlanta’s quarterback plans are unraveling before the season even begins. Tua Tagovailoa was limited Thursday by an oblique injury after dealing with lower-back trouble earlier in camp and is considered day-to-day. ESPN's Falcons beat writer Marc Raimondi reported that Cooper Rush took every first-team rep.
Michael Penix Jr. practiced fully, but the Falcons have been careful with the 2024 first-round pick following last season’s torn ACL. If Tagovailoa cannot play and Atlanta sticks to that plan, Rush would start against Pittsburgh. He entered camp as the third option and would now be asked to survive Pittsburgh’s pass rush in Acrisure Stadium.
Mike McCarthy has familiarity with Rush from their days together in Dallas, where Rush was Dak Prescott's backup.
That doesn’t make the Steelers-Falcons matchup an automatic W. Kevin Stefanski can lean on Bijan Robinson, and Drake London remains dangerous, especially if Porter cannot handle his usual workload. Pittsburgh at least has Asante Samuel Jr. available without reshuffling Patrick Graham’s entire secondary.
The favorable breaks may continue into Week 2. Brown suffered a high-ankle sprain during New England’s season-opening loss in Seattle and is expected to miss multiple weeks. That would remove Drake Maye’s most imposing receiver when Pittsburgh visits the Patriots. They already struggled offensively against the Seahawks before Brown went down, and it certainly didn't get better without him.
Nobody should apologize for schedule luck. But facing Rush and then a Brown-less Patriots offense would eliminate two perfectly good excuses for a slow start. Good teams cash in when the schedule softens. Pittsburgh just needs to turn this good fortune into a 2-0 start.
Add us as a preferred source on Google