The Steelers are receiving some positive news on the injury front as Week 1 quickly approaches.
After making his 2022 preseason debut this weekend, RB Najee Harris said that he’d been dealing with a Lisfranc sprain in his foot that he reportedly suffered on the first day of training camp. Although that sounds concerning, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that Harris remains on track to start Week 1 at the Cincinnati Bengals.
“We saw him the other day in the game (and) that is a sign that he is good to go, ready for the season,” Rapoport said on NFL Now on Monday. “Judging from the initial injury, it seems like he was out about four weeks with this Lisfranc. That’s the general timeline — usually a month or a little more.
“So, just based on watching him, the timeline, knowing what they do about the injury, it seems like he’s going to be fine for the regular season, which is a good sign because he’s certainly going to be relied on in Pittsburgh.”
Following the Steelers’ preseason finale on Sunday, there were other health concerns. Both edge rusher TJ Watt (knee) and WR Diontae Johnson (shoulder) — two of the team’s most important playmakers — were ruled out of the Steelers’ 19-9 win over the Lions.
It appears the Steelers were simply being cautious. Head coach Mike Tomlin said after the game that he believed the injuries to be minor and that both might have been able to return to the game had it not been preseason. All signs point to Watt and Johnson being able to return to action in fairly short order.
After hauling in a 38-yard catch against the Lions, Johnson landed awkwardly on his left shoulder and came out of the game. After a spell in the blue medical tent, Johnson headed to the locker room and was done for the game.
Last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, Watt suffered his injury on a cut block from Lions TE TJ Hockenson that was quite similar to the block that injured Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux earlier this preseason.
Watt’s teammate, Cameron Heyward, said after the game that the NFL needs to review cut blocks. Right now, as the NFL’s rule book is written, Hockenson’s block was legal, just like Bengals TE Thaddeus Moss’ block on Thibodeaux was last week.
“We’ve done a lot for the offensive players. Where’s the help on defense?” Heyward rhetorically asked the media after the game.
The good news for the Steelers is that it appears that controversial block won’t keep their defensive star out of the lineup.