PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered two significant injuries in their 20-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Starting quarterback Kenny Pickett went down just before the half and did not return. Head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t have much of an update on Pickett.
He also didn’t have much of an update on safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who went down with a hamstring injury in the first half and was quickly ruled out. Fitzpatrick quickly left the field and was not seen in the locker room after the game. His injury appears to be significant.
The Steelers replaced Fitzpatrick with Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal, who usually split time at strong safety, both playing a full-time role. Miles Killebrew also played a larger-than-usual role with Fitzpatrick out.
The Steelers gave up 10 catches for 88 yards to tight end Evan Engram with Fitzpatrick out of the game and the patchwork secondary — that was already missing starting outside cornerback Levi Wallace — unable to adjust.
“Man, it’s tough because Minkah is one of those guys that he is not only a guy that can plug any and everywhere but he’s a guy that communicates to the guys on the back end,” Peterson said. “It’s a little different when you can have the leader of our secondary back there and the main communicator back there with us. Now, the other guys back there have to show us what they have.”
Tomlin said the absences didn’t impact what the Steelers were able to do schematically.
“Obviously, he’s a quality player,” Tomlin said. “But I don’t know that it reduced us schematically in any way.”
The Steelers got good news when it comes to left tackle Dan Moore Jr. He left the game in the second half with another injury to his right knee, but was able to return. Moore missed a game and a half with a knee sprain earlier this season, but said that he’ll be fine going forward.
There is minimal time for the team to get healthy, with a Thursday Night Football game against the Tennessee Titans on the docket for Week 9.
| Player | Injury | Date | Prognosis | Roster Status |
| QB Kenny Pickett | Rib | Oct. 29 | Unknown | Did not return |
| FS Minkah Fitzpatrick | Right hamstring | Oct. 29 | Unknown | Did not return |
| LT Dan Moore Jr. | Right knee | Oct. 29 | Unknown | Returned to action |
| OLB T.J. Watt | Heel | Oct. 27 | Unknown | Played in full |
| CB James Pierre | Ankle | Oct. 27 | Unknown | Played in full |
| DT Larry Ogunjobi | Shoulder | Oct. 26 | Unknown | Played in full |
| WR Diontae Johnson | Hamstring | Oct. 26 | Unknown | Played in full |
| CB Joey Porter Jr. | Right calf | Oct. 26 | Unknown | Played in full |
| CB Levi Wallace | Foot | Oct. 25 | Unknown | Did not play |
| 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), Did not play |
| DT Cam Heyward | Core muscle surgery | Sept. 10 | Multiple weeks | IR-R, (Nov. 16), Did not play |
| 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 |