Steelers’ Latest Injury Report Includes Additional Bad News As Najee Harris Appears
Things aren’t trending in the right direction for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After getting blown out in Week 4, they will now have to defeat the Baltimore Ravens to avoid going back to below .500. Unfortunately, injuries have continued to stack up in Pittsburgh. While Diontae Johnson and Cam Heyward remain out for the foreseeable future, there have been a few new names added to the list this week.
Edge rusher Alex Highsmith was freshly added to the injury report on Thursday with a groin issue. In Friday’s injury report update, he is listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup. Another player has been added to the report in running back Najee Harris. He was a limited practice participant on Friday, as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. As we’ve seen with Johnson, hamstring injuries are nothing to mess around with. Amanda Godsey of the Tribune-Democrat Sports provided an update of Friday’s practice injury report.
That means he will be ready to go for Sunday, so the team will not have to start veteran Mitch Trubisky. On a concerning note, Godsey listed five players that are out for Sunday: DeMarvin Leal, Pat Freiermuth, Pressley Harvin, James Daniels, and Dan Moore Jr. That’s four starters (minimum), in addition to Johnson and Heyward, that the team will be without in Week 5.
Can The Steelers Survive Recent Additions To Injury Report?
Thankfully, the Steelers have a bye in Week 6. That seems to be coming at a perfect time, as these guys will be able to heal from some of these injuries. Still, Pittsburgh will have to ask a lot out of their backups. With Heyward and now Leal out, the defensive line is depleted, and that’s not a good thing when you’re set to face a stout front like the Ravens.
With Daniels and Moore out, Nate Herbig and Broderick Jones will be asked to step in along the offensive line. For Jones, it will be his first career NFL start. The offensive line will be something to watch all day, as the group has struggled so far this season. On the flip side, the Ravens seem to be getting healthy at the perfect time.
Odell Beckham Jr., Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Williams, and a few other key players are set to play on Sunday despite dealing with various injuries. The odds seem to be stacked against the Steelers this upcoming weekend, especially as more injuries continue to come out. The defense will need another elite performance against Lamar Jackson and co., something they have been able to do in years past.
How concerned are you about this Week 5 matchup with the additional injuries going on? How confident are you in the team picking up their third victory of the season on Sunday? Do you think Warren can carry a heavy workload if Harris is unable to go? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!