Jaylen Warren remained limited by a shoulder injury Thursday, just as the Pittsburgh Steelers may need him to take on more work against the Cincinnati Bengals. Rico Dowdle missed a second straight practice with a toe injury. The backfield concern that surfaced Wednesday now extends to both runners Pittsburgh has relied on through two games. Warren practiced on both days, which is encouraging, but there’s no reason to assume he can take every carry Dowdle might leave behind.
The Steelers’ Thursday injury report listed Dean as limited with an ankle injury after he sat out Wednesday. Joey Porter Jr. remained limited for conditioning, while Jaylen Warren (shoulder) and Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) were limited for a second day. Jalen Ramsey practiced fully after Wednesday’s rest day. Cole Holcomb again missed practice for personal reasons, and rookie guard Gennings Dunker was added to the report as limited with a knee injury.
Player | Position | Injury | Wed. | Thurs. | Fri. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Michael Pittman Jr. | WR | Foot | LP | LP | |
Joey Porter Jr. | CB | NIR/Conditioning | LP | LP | |
Jalen Ramsey | CB | NIR/Rest | DNP | FP | |
Rico Dowdle | RB | Toe | DNP | DNP | |
Jaylen Warren | RB | Shoulder | LP | LP | |
Jamel Dean | CB | Ankle | DNP | LP | |
Cole Holcomb | LB | NIR/Personal | DNP | DNP | |
Gennings Dunker | G | Knee | - | LP |
Dowdle’s two absences make Warren’s shoulder designation more consequential than it would be in a healthy backfield. A limited practice doesn’t mean Warren will miss Sunday’s game or face a restricted workload. If Dowdle is ruled out, though, Pittsburgh will need to decide who can reliably spell Warren without taking away what he does best.
Rico Dowdle’s absence gives the Pittsburgh Steelers a backfield choice
Warren has rushed for 89 yards on 21 carries through two games; Dowdle has 37 yards on 15. Warren has been the more productive back, but Pittsburgh’s 27th-ranked 3.4 yards-per-game rushing shows how little the ground game has produced overall. Giving Warren more attempts might help. It won’t create blocking that hasn’t been there, and his shoulder is another reason to have a second option ready.
Travis Homer is on the practice squad and was elevated for last week’s game, when he gained 16 yards on two carries. He also brings an established special teams role. Rookie Eli Heidenreich is already on the roster but hasn’t established a regular rushing role. Either could give Warren a break, though neither has shown enough in this offense to be treated as a replacement for Dowdle’s entire workload.
Still Curtain’s Andrew Falce made the case for Lew Nichols. Nichols led Pittsburgh this preseason with 87 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, then cleared roster cuts and returned to the practice squad in August. Preseason production against reserve defenders doesn’t promise results against Cincinnati, but it gives the Steelers a reason to consider him if they need someone to spell Warren as a conventional runner.
Dean’s return gives the secondary better news ahead of its matchup with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. He and Asante Samuel Jr. started outside while Porter missed the first two games. Porter still hasn’t practiced fully, so Dean’s progress could be especially useful if Pittsburgh’s cornerback plans depend on another late decision.
Friday’s final report will clarify whether Warren and Dean receive game designations and whether Dowdle has a realistic shot at playing. If Dowdle is out, a practice squad elevation would show whether the Steelers want Homer’s special teams experience or Nichols’ rushing depth behind Warren.
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