Steelers Injury Updates
Steelers Expected to Get Back Key Piece on Defense vs. Jets
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin ruled out outside linebacker Nick Herbig (hamstring) for Sunday night’s game against the New York Jets. However, he expects to get back outside linebacker Alex Highsmith (groin), which will be a big boost for an OLB group that’s been decimated with injuries.
“Really optimistic about Alex Highsmith,” Tomlin said on Tuesday when reviewing the injury list.
Highsmith missed the last three games after re-injuring his groin in the first half of the Steelers’ Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Herbig replaced him in that game and against the Indianapolis Colts, but he suffered a serious hamstring injury in last Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Defensive end DeMarvin Leal, who has also played some outside linebacker this season, was also injured against the Cowboys and was placed on insured reserve with a neck injury.
That has left the Steelers incredibly thin at outside linebacker. Jeremiah Moon, who made his Steelers debut against the Cowboys after missing the first four weeks with a preseason ankle injury, started opposite of T.J. Watt against Las Vegas.
Highsmith returned to practice last Thursday. He said that he worked only in individual periods of practice, not team work. He said he’s feeling good — actually too good — but is still targeting the Jets game for a return.
This is the second time that Highsmith has injured his groin this season. The first came in the preseason and the second game during the team’s Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, when he left just before the half.
Soft tissue injuries are easy to aggravate, and Highsmith having already re-injured this one once means that even though he feels good, he’s going to have to wait this one out.
“As a competitor, it’s frustrating,” Highsmith said.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.