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Steelers Suffer Four In-Game Injuries vs. Lions, Rookie DB Watts Being Evaluated

Pittsburgh Steelers Injury Updates: Four players suffered in-game injures for the Steelers against the Detroit Lions on Saturday.

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Pittsburgh Steelers DB Ryan Watts
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Ryan Watts during a preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Aug. 24, 2024. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

DETROIT โ€” Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive back Ryan Watts suffered an apparently serious injury late in his teamโ€™s final preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday, one of four Steelers players to suffer an in-game injury.



Watts was injured attempting to make a tackle against Lions running back Zonovan Knight on the final series of the game. He laid face-down on the Lions logo near midfield for several minutes before eventually sitting up and walking off the field with the help of trainers.ย 

Head coach Mike Tomlin after the game that Watts suffered a stinger. Stingers are nerve injuries caused by compression or stretching of the neck and shoulder area, and are extremely painful, with pain shooting down the arms and/or legs.ย 

Stingers are not typically considered to be long-term injuries, though they have been in some cases. Steelers safety Trenton Thompson missed the rest of the regular season after suffering a stinger against the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 16.

โ€œHeโ€™s still being evaluated as we speak,โ€ Tomlin cautioned.

Pittsburgh Steelers DB Ryan Watts

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Ryan Watts during a preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Aug. 24, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

Cornerback Cory Trice Jr. suffered a minor groin injury late in the second quarter against the Lions, and did not return. Trice said after the game that he doesnโ€™t expect it to be a long-term issue.

The Steelers are thin at cornerback. Starter Joey Porter Jr. was held out of the game with an undisclosed injury and his status for the season opener against the Atlanta Falcon on Sept. 8 is up in the air.

Trice started in his place at the top backup. Only Darius Rush has any Steelers experience at all of the teamโ€™s remaining backups. He played in 39 snaps over three games as a rookie last season.

Kyler McMichael, Zyon Gilbert and Kiondre Thomas are the other three outside cornerbacks on the 90-man roster. All three were signed after the start of training camp. Slot cornerback Thomas Graham played some outside cornerback on Saturday.

The other position on the defense where the depth is in question is outside linebacker. T.J. Watt was held out of the game and Alex Highsmith (groin) missed his third straight preseason game, though he did dress.ย 

Backup Jeremiah Moon (foot/ankle) also missed Saturdayโ€™s game, and two more outside linebackers suffered in-game injuries. Kyron Johnson went into the blue tent on the Steelers sideline late in the game, and was running in front of trainers. Tomlin did not acknowledge his injury after the game.

Rookie edge rusher Julius Welschof had two sacks on Saturday, giving him three in the preseason, but he also suffered an injury. He left the game in the second half with a right knee injury that Tomlin said is being evaluated. Welschof was wearing a brace on his knee in the locker room after the game.

The Steelers got one player back from injury, as cornerback Beanie Bishop made his return after missing last weekโ€™s game for undisclosed reasons.

Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Julius Welschof

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Ryan Welschof during a preseason game against the Detoirt Lions on Aug. 24, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

PITTSBURGH STEELERS INJURY REPORT

Player Injury Dateย  Prognosis Roster Status
SS Ryan Watts Neck stinger Aug. 24 TBD Active, DNR vs. Lions
OLB Kyron Johnson TBD Aug. 24 TBD Active, DNR vs. Lions
OLB Julius Welschof Right knee Aug. 24 TBD Active, DNR vs. Lions
CB Cory Trice Groin Aug. 24 TBD Active, DNR vs. Lions
CB Joey Porter Jr. TBD Aug. 20 TBD Active, OUT vs. Lions
OLB Jeremiah Moon Right foot/ankle Aug. 17 TBD Active, OUT vs. Lions
OT Dylan Cook Left foot/ankle Aug. 17 TBD Active, OUT vs. Lions
LB Tyler Matakevich Left ankle Aug. 17 TBD Active, OUT vs. Lions
ILB Payton Wilson Concussion protocol Aug. 17 TBD Active, DNP vs. Lions
RB Jaylen Warren Hamstring Aug. 17 Multiple weeks Active, OUT vs. Lions
CB Beanie Bishop Undisclosed Aug. 15 TBD Active, IN vs. Lions
C Nate Herbig Torn rotator cuff Aug. 14 Out for season Injured reserve
RB Jonathan Ward Right hamstring Aug. 14 TBD Active, DNP vs. Lions
OT Troy Fautanu Left MCL sprain Aug. 9 One week Active, OUT vs. Lions
OLB Alex Highsmith Groin Aug. 6 Healthy Active, DNP vs. Lions
OLB David Perales Left MCL tear July 31 Months Injured reserveย 
WR Roman Wilson Left ankle sprain July 30 Week-to-week Active, OUT vs. Lions
ILB Cole Holcomb Left knee Nov. 2, 2023 TBD Physically unable to perform

Copyright ยฉ 2024 National Hockey Now LLC / Steelers Now. We are a fully credentialed news organization covering the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. In no way affiliated with or endorsed by the Pittsburgh Steelers or NFL.

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