It got too close for comfort at the end, but the Pittsburgh Steelers will leave Ireland with a victory over the Minnesota Vikings. They will now have a bye week to get healthy and prepare for the long haul of the season. They desperately need it too, with Jaylen Warren being a late scratch before the contest, Joey Porter Jr. missing almost the entire season so far, and other bumps and bruises that have come up in recent weeks. They can rest up and likely have a clean bill of health prior to a divisional game in Week 6.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers running back Jaylen Warren runs with a football as the team works through drills during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
There is one player that is highly questionable for the short-term future, however. During the game against the Vikings, ESPN insider Brooke Pryor reported that starting wide receiver Calvin Austin III left Croke Park in an ambulance with a sling over his shoulder. It was also reported that there was no X-ray machine in the stadium, so that could have been the reasoning for him being taken to the hospital in the first place.
Steelers WR Calvin Austin III was just loaded into an ambulance in the tunnel with his shoulder in a sling.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 28, 2025
In his postgame press conference, Head Coach Mike Tomlin addressed Austin's injury, but he just merely confirmed what Pryor reported, as he said that the wideout was being evaluated at the hospital. As of now, he also seems to have no word on his condition, so we will await reports from the media to see how Austin will fare.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Calvin Austin III at the beginning of training camp ahead of the 2025 season.
The Steelers are already low on receiver depth, so if Austin's injury is serious, the Steelers will have to scramble to make things work on offense. Fans have questioned where second-year wideout Roman Wilson has been. He may be forced to see quite a few targets to fill in for the speedster on the outside. There's also the special teams duo of Ben Skowronek and Scotty Miller that will likely see an increase in playing time.
Worst-case scenario for Austin is likely a broken bone somewhere around his shoulder. Best-case scenario is some sort of sprain that will only take a couple weeks to heal up, so the bye week could not come at a better time for Pittsburgh. We hope for the best for him, no matter what his injury is. Hopefully, he will have a very speedy recovery either way.
Other Steelers Injuries From Week 4
Tomlin spoke about how much the cornerback room was struggling, as guys kept rotating in and out with little issues here and there.
"Jalen Ramsey was in and out of the game with a hamstring," Tomlin explained. "Brandin Echols had cramps. [Darius] Slay got cleated. You know, we were leaking a little bit in the secondary coming into the game without Joey Porter."
Jalen Ramsey was visibly uncomfortable on a play where he was chasing down Jordan Addison on a deep route, as he pulled up and instantly grabbed his hamstring. That was somewhat ironic, considering his "Hamstring Griddy" celebration he had in the first quarter on a scoop-and-score that was eventually called back due to a technicality that made the ball out of bounds.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay during their debuts against the New York Jets in 2025.
Darius Slay was struggling with injuries in Week 3 as well, so getting cleated in Week 4 did not help matters at all. Brandin Echols was on the ground for a little bit while dealing with cramps. The jet lag from leaving so late may have contributed to all of these muscles getting tightened up, as defensive tackle Cameron Heyward also went to the sideline for a bit with a minor issue that Tomlin didn't feel the need to mention.
What do you think about Austin's injury, as well as the other issues that popped up in the Steelers' Week 4 win? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
#SteelerNation
