By G.Stryker
SteelerNation.com
Every rostered player for the Pittsburgh Steelers practiced in some capacity this week which is a great sign this late in the season. That is great news moving toward the final three weeks, and no chance at having a bye, unless they make the Super Bowl.
JuJu Smith-Schuster is already listed as out after practicing fully on Wednesday. He reinjured his knee on Thursday. Vance McDonald still hasn’t cleared concussion protocol and is listed as out as well.
James Conner returned to practice fully all week. He is still listed as questionable, so that must speak to the team erring on the side of caution this week, and may hold him out again. Honestly, he should be a game-time decision.
The best news is that Jaylen Samuels' groin injury didn’t hamper his ability to practice and he should be cleared to play this week. Groin injuries can derail effectiveness for shifty players, so you don’t want wide receivers, or shifty running backs, getting these injuries.
I track and try to predict timelines for Steeler players returning to the field. This is a link to our current spreadsheet. It will update on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday after the practice reports are issued, as well as Post-Game and Tuesday after Coach Tomlin's press conferences. Bookmark it to see how the health of the Steelers are shaping up each week. Click Here
I believe the inactive players will be:
- Paxton Lynch: 3rd QB inactive
- JuJu Smith-Schuster: Listed as out and won’t play
- Vance McDonald: Listed as out and won’t play
- Chukwuma Okorafor: The Steelers usually rest him and this is an instance where he should be a healthy scratch again
- Tuzar Skipper: He hasn’t been active yet, and will probably have to wait for an injury to be active
- Artie Burns: The Steelers like Justin Layne for special teams. It looks like Artie will be inactive until there is an injury to one of the starting edge corners.
- Kerrith Whyte: He’s done a great job with the carries that he’s had, but he has to sit if Conner is playing
#SteelerNation
