PITTSBURGH—Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced that RB Cordarrelle Patterson is out for Week 6, while RB Jaylen Warren is doubtful.
Patterson left Week 4’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the third quarter after suffering a knee injury. The veteran running back ran well before the injury, rushing for 43 yards on six carries in the 27-24 loss.
Warren has not played since Week 3 versus the Los Angeles Chargers when he went down with a grade 1 PCL sprain. Warren’s timetable for a return is week to week. Before the injury, the 2023 Steelers offensive sparkplug ran for only 54 yards on 14 carries.
Starting RB Najee Harris’ play has swooned the last two weeks, rushing for a combined 61 yards on 27 carries. The Steelers can only hope that Harris regains his form against a Las Vegas Raiders defense allowing an average of 131.8 rushing yards per game.
Unfortunately, the injury bug isn’t the only issue for the Steelers offense.
Pittsburgh quarterback Justin Fields played his worst game as a Steelers starter last week, throwing for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Speculation persists about whether veteran quarterback Russell Wilson will make his first start this week versus the Las Vegas Raiders.
The injuries and question marks surrounding the Steelers’ offense could not come at a worse time. The three games before their Week 9 bye were considered the easiest portion of their schedule. After consecutive losses, the Steelers must face considerable adversity before the AFC North portion of the 2024 season begins.
Warren and Patterson’s return remains undetermined. Najee Harris will see the majority of touches out of the backfield during Week 6.
Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Pittsburgh.