The Pittsburgh Steelers have released their first injury report of the week as they get ready to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon.
Wide receiver George Pickens (hamstring) did not participate, which was expected considering all of the news that has come out regarding his status over the past couple of days.
The 23-year-old popped up on the injury report last Friday as a limited participant and thus was given a “questionable” game designation. He was expected to play after going through pregame warm-ups ahead of Pittsburgh’s Week 14 bout with the Cleveland Browns, though the team wasn’t comfortable sending him out on the field and risking worsening his health in what would’ve been a limited role.
Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday that an MRI revealed Pickens’ injury was worse than initially believed, backing up a report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac that he suffered a grade 2 hamstring strain, which may sideline him for several weeks.
Tomlin characterized Pickens as “doubtful” to appear versus the Eagles, and it would appear the Steelers are preparing to play without him.
Safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring) also did not practice on Wednesday. Tomlin mentioned that he was dealing with an ailment stemming from Pittsburgh’s victory over Cleveland, so his participation over the following days will bear watching.
Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin) was a non-participant after going down with his injury and later being ruled out against the Browns.
Defensive tackle Montravius Adams (knee) practiced in full while remaining on the reserve/injured list. He sustained his injury versus the New York Jets in Week 7 and had his 21-day return window opened on Nov. 27.
If the Steelers do not activate Adams to the 53-man roster before the end of that period, he will miss the remainder of the season.