PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their third injury to an outside cornerback this week, as backup James Pierre did not practice on Friday with an injury and is listed as questionable against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pierre had been filling in for Levi Wallace and Joey Porter Jr., both of whom are nursing injuries.
Wallace suffered a foot injury during the team’s Week 7 win over the Los Angeles Rams. He missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday and was a limited participant in practice on Friday. He has been ruled questionable to play in Sunday’s game against Jacksonville.
Wallace has been the Steelers’ primary right cornerback throughout the 2023 season but has been losing playing time of late to rookie second-round draft pick Joey Porter Jr. It seemed likely that this week, Porter was in line to replace Wallace as the starter after out-snapping him against the Rams.
But Porter himself was injured in practice, suffering a right calf issue that caused him to be limited in practice on Thursday and then again on Friday. Porter is also questionable. He said on Thursday that he feels he will be able to play this week.
That leaves rookie cornerback Darius Rush, who has only been with the Steelers for two weeks after coming over from the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, as the only other fully healthy cornerback, beside starter Patrick Peterson.
Slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan has also played outside. Elijah Riley can also play in the slot. Outside cornerback Luq Barcoo is eligible to be elevated from the practice squad if necessary.
STEELERS INJURY REPORT
Player | Injury | Date | Prognosis | Roster Status |
OLB T.J. Watt | Heel | Oct. 27 | Unknown | Active, Limited practice |
CB James Pierre | Ankle | Oct. 27 | Unknown | QUES, Did not practice |
DT Larry Ogunjobi | Shoulder | Oct. 26 | Unknown | Active, Full practice |
WR Diontae Johnson | Hamstring | Oct. 26 | Unknown | Active, Full practice |
CB Joey Porter Jr. | Right calf | Oct. 26 | Unknown | QUES, Limited practice |
CB Levi Wallace | Foot | Oct. 25 | Unknown | QUES, Limited practice |
TE Pat Freiermuth | Hamstring | Oct. 1 | Multiple weeks | Injured reserve, (Wk. 11) |
RB Anthony McFarland | Knee | Sept. 13 | Day-to-day | IR-R, (Nov. 6) Full practice |
DT Cam Heyward | Core muscle surgery | Sept. 10 | Multiple weeks | IR-R, (Nov. 16) Full practice |
LB Chapelle Russell II | Knee | Aug. 11 | Out for season | Injured reserve |
CB Cory Trice | Right ACL tear | Aug. 1 | Out for season | Injured reserve |
RB Alfonzo Graham | Torn right labrum | July 29 | Out for season | Injured reserve |
DT Renell Wren | Torn right Achilles tendon | May 17 | Out for season | Injured reserve |
Nick Farabaugh provided reporting from Pittsburgh.