Four Pittsburgh Steelers starters, including All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt, were listed as not practicing Tuesday in the team’s injury report.
Watt (ankle) was joined by fellow starters in wide receiver George Pickens (hamstring), strong safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring) and cornerback Donte Jackson (back), as well as backup quarterback Justin Fields (abdominal), in being listed as non-participants in practice. A fifth starter, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin), was listed as a limited participant. The Steelers also gave a pair of veterans, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and inside linebacker Patrick Queen, a day of rest.
Watt suffered what Steelers coach Mike Tomlin termed a “low ankle” injury late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss at the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson also was injured during the game, bothered by a pinched nerve while trying to shed a block. Fields endured the abdominal injury while sliding to end a run play against the Eagles.
Pickens has missed the past two games after tweaking his hamstring in a post-practice workout three days before the Steelers played the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 8. Elliott and Ogunjobi left the Bengals game with injuries and did not play against the Eagles.
With the chance to clinch the AFC North Division title Saturday at the Baltimore Ravens, Tomlin said Monday that the Steelers would use everyone who is healthy enough to play.
“When you get to this portion of the season, when the sand is running through the hourglass, that’s not a component of decision making, generally, regarding people. If they’re healthy and available, they go,” Tomlin said. “And that’s generally the mindset that we’re in. This is a big game. We have an opportunity to solidify the division this week, and so rest assured, the healthy people are going to play in this game. Those that are capable of playing are going to play in this game, and we’re not going to look ahead to potentially what happens on the other side of it. We’ve got definitive, tangible things to pursue this week — a divisional championship — and I think that merits all hands on deck.”
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