PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin revealed on Monday that there is a chance for George Pickens (hamstring), DeShon Elliott (hamstring), Larry Ogunjobi (groin), Donte Jackson (back), Justin Fields (abdomen) and T.J. Watt (ankle) to play this week. He specifically called Watt questionable for Sunday’s crucial AFC North showdown against the Baltimore Ravens. `.
“The doors ajar for those guys,” Tomlin said. “T.J. Watt, I just saw him walking around rather comfortably. But again, he’s questionable with his ankle. We’ll see where the roads lead us. Donte Jackson with his back and Justin Fields with the abdominal injury. Will see where the roads lead us.”
Watt, Jackson and Fields all suffered their injuries in Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and did not return. The team already was without starters George Pickens, Larry Ogunjobi and DeShon Elliot.
The Steelers are a banged up group right now during their three-game gauntlet in 10 days. Getting healthy for Saturday is crucial, and they need No. 1 wide receiver George Pickens back in the worse way. The passing game has struggled mightily without his presence.
The Steelers finished with 163 yards against the Eagles, their fewest since they had 127 in a 19-11 victory against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 19, 2010. They also possessed the ball for just 20:08 and had just two possessions in the second half.
Pickens missed his second consecutive game with a hamstring injury suffered in practice last Thursday. Pickens had played the first 46 games to start his career, and he’s champing at the bit to get back on the field.
The cameras for HBO’s Hard Knocks caught Pickens lamenting his injury status on the Pittsburgh sideline during the Steelers’ Week 14 game against the Cleveland Browns.
“I wanna play so bad, boy,” Pickens said to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin
Tomlin responded, “It’s that football life. “Just football life.”
Pickens’ status will be something to monitor throughout the week. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported last week that Pickens suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
Tomlin said after Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns that Pickens could have played, but not a full workload, and the Steelers didn’t want to risk him injuring it further.
With the division on the line against the Ravens, this could be the week that Pickens returns.
Aaron Becker provided reporting from Pittsburgh.