The Pittsburgh Steelers have dealt with multiple injuries this preseason. Fortunately, as far as we know, many of them have been relatively minor in nature. The frustrating part is that a lot of the injured players are ones the Steelers were counting on. That list includes this year's first-round draft pick Troy Fautanu, third-round pick Roman Wilson, and some veterans like Nate Herbig, Jaylen Warren, and Alex Highsmith.
The Athletic
Steelers' Roman Wilson.
That means that heading into their third preseason game of 2024 against the Detroit Lions, Head Coach Mike Tomlin has to carefully weigh the benefits and risks of starting the remaining players. The offense has been a different story. Tomlin told the press that he sees it as a "dry rehearsal" and plans to start quarterback Russell Wilson and the healthy members of the offensive line.
The defense has performed well overall this preseason, so it seems unlikely that we will see much from the stars of that expensive group, including T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. But what about second-year cornerback, Joey Porter Jr.? Recently, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Brian Batko was on 93.7 The Fan Morning Show, and host Adam Crowley asked him about Porter. Crowley mentioned he had seen an interview with Cory Trice Jr., who said he played quite a bit more with the ones. That would likely mean he was playing in place of Porter, and Crowley asked about the rumors that the young star was injured.
"Could be a minor injury that they're managing this time of year," guessed Batko. "I don't get the sense that it's anything too drastic. But then again, when you don't have injury reports in the preseason and the coach is less than transparent in updating the health of guys who are missing time, you are kind of left to speculate and wonder and worry if you're a fan whether this is going to be something that's bigger than they are letting on or something that's going to linger."
Batko added that he had spoken with Porter in the locker room the other day, not about him being injured, and there had been no mention of anything wrong. He also said that he has learned over the years that players tend to turn down interviews when they are injured and try to hide it from the media. This happened recently with Broderick Jones after the Buffalo Bills game. After his disappointing performance, he declined to speak with the media, telling them he needed to see the doctor about an injury.
Gene J. Puskar / ASSOCIATED PRESS
Steelers' Donte Jackson.
An injury to Porter would be extremely concerning as the Steelers are just getting their cornerback room in shape after struggling during the 2023 season. During the offseason, they traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, partly for Donte Jackson. He appears to be the apparent second starting cornerback, but Trice, who is finally back from an injury suffered during training camp of his rookie year, is ready to be the depth piece fans have been counting on.
Steelers' Beanie Bishop Jr. Needs To Step Up Against The Lions
The Steel City is known for finding diamonds in the rough, and many are hoping they found another one in undrafted rookie free agent, Beanie Bishop Jr. Every year, there are players that analysts are surprised didn't get drafted. Bishop was one of them this year.
Bishop came out hot at training camp and caught the attention of fans, especially because the team lacks a clear slot corner heading into the season. Pittsburgh decided to re-sign Cam Sutton, who the Lions released after being charged with domestic violence. According to Tomlin, Bishop reportedly suffered a minor injury during the last week of camp and did not play against the Bills.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Beanie Bishop.
Now, Bishop is telling the media he feels "great" and is hoping he gets a shot at playing Saturday against the Lions. While he felt like a lock during the early weeks of camp, his future seems more uncertain now. Tomlin was clear, saying Bishop needed to come out and give it his all if he wanted a shot at the roster. Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin sounded a bit more realistic, noting that because injuries have decimated the cornerback room, whoever is healthy has a shot at starting.
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