The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for a must-win playoff matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Mike Tomlin's team saw the worst possible outcome play out in Week 18 as the Ravens trampled the Browns to claim the division crown and the Steelers fell to the Bengals.
The results of Week 18 mean the Steelers claim the No. 6 seed and will be forced to play a rematch game in Baltimore—the place in which they lost 34-17 to the Ravens in December.
To make things more challenging, Pittsburgh is dealing with injuries and sickness to starting players just days ahead of their pivotal Wild Card game. In the NFL, it's win or go home in the postseason, and Tomlin will need his roster at full strength by Saturday to stand a shot against the Ravens. Here's the latest Steelers news.
Cameron Heyward misses practice with sickness
In his post-game press conference after the loss to the Bengals in Week 18, Cam Heyward sounded horse and admitted that he had been battling the flu. On Monday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reported that Heyward was held out of practice to begin the week due to being sick.
While flu bugs can last for days, the expectation is that Heyward will shake this sickness and be ready to go by Saturday's game. No bug is going to keep Heyward off the field in Baltimore for Pittsburgh's Wild Card game against the Ravens.
Mason McCormick suffered broken hand vs. Bengals
The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to avoid the injury bug for most of the season, but now one starter was bitten just before the playoffs. Head coach Mike Tomlin confirms that Mason McCormick suffered a broken hand in the loss to the Bengals prior to exiting the game in the second half.
Mike Tomlin said rookie G Mason McCormick has a broken hand and will be fitted for a cast or brace. They will gauge how he functions in practice to see his availability
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 6, 2025
McCormick will get a cast and a brace before checking his functionality to see if he's able to give it a go this weekend. If he can manage the pain, McCormick still has a chance to suit up. Offensive linemen have played through these types of injuries before, but it's not easy to corral interior defenders and keep them from getting to the quarterback when you don't have full strength in one hand.
We'll continue to monitor his status on the injury report and gauge his availability for Saturday's playoff game.
Donte Jackson 'feels good' after back injury
After logging a limited practice last week, cornerback Donte Jackson suffered an injury setback to his back. The veteran CB was unable to go against the Bengals in Week 18, which opened the door for Cory Trice Jr. to make his first-ever NFL start in an effort to contain superstar wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.
Trice performed about as well as we could have expected given the impossible task, but the Steelers want to have a completely healthy secondary heading into the playoffs. Mike Tomlin told the media Jackson 'feels good' but his status will be monitored throughout the week to see if he's able to make a return for Pittsburgh's Wild Card game against the Ravens on Saturday.
Ravens WR Zay Flowers looks doubtful for playoff game vs. Steelers
The Steelers aren't the only team dealing with injured starters entering the playoffs. Ravens' star receiver Zay Flowers suffered a knee injury in Baltimore's Week 18 blowout win over the Browns.
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Flowers' knee injury is 'not season-ending', but it sounds like it will be a 'challenge' for the talented wide receiver to suit up this week and that it's possible to suit up after the Wild Card round (if the Ravens are still in the playoffs).