Mike Tomlin Updates Steelers Injuries: ‘We’re Excited’

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers used their bye week to get healthy — and while how they redeploy those assets might turn out to be controversial — they could have nearly a full squad when they face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Two players, wide receiver Diontae Johnson and running back Anthony McFarland Jr., were announced on Monday as having been designated to return from the injured reserve list. The team has 21 days to activate them, or they will be forced to stay on the IR all season.

Tomlin said that they will practice this week and a decision won’t be made on whether or not they will be activated until later in the week.

 “They’ll be working in a variety of capacities at various appropriate levels,” he said. “We’ll let the quality of that participation and the amount of that participation, coupled with conditioning, be our guide in terms of activation or not this week. It’s a week-to-week thing. You get a 21-day window. But you get opportunities at the end of the week. We’ll be assessing those guys for inclusion or not.”

Both Johnson and McFarland have said they intend to play on Sunday. A half-dozen other Steelers players missed the team’s Week 5 game against the Baltimore Ravens, and Tomlin said he expects all of them to practice this week with the opportunity to play on Sunday.

“We’ve got some guys who had lesser injuries who appear to be poised for various levels of participation as we prepare tomorrow, guys on the offensive line like James Daniels and Dan Moore, tight end Pat Freiermuth, DeMarvin Leal, Pressley Harvin,” he said. “So we’re excited about the relative health of our group as we get singularly focused on this next opportunity.”

The only injured player that Tomlin did not name was defensive tackle Cam Heyward, who is expected to miss at least three more weeks as he works his way back from core muscle surgery.

STEELERS INJURY REPORT