PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely be without star wide receiver George Pickens against the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday.
Pickens injured his hamstring during Thursday’s practice, and he was a limited participant on Friday. That led to him feeling much better after practice, and the Steelers were initially planning to play him on a ‘pitch count’ in key moments such as the red zone and third downs.
However, Pickens' pregame workout went sideways, and the injury was revealed to be much more significant than initially thought by the Steelers. After an MRI, a grade 2 hamstring strain was confirmed, and the prognosis looks to be a multi-week injury.
“George could be categorized as doubtful as we sit here,” Tomlin said. “Again, like we always do, we’ll go through normal procedure. We’ll let participation be our guide in terms of availability, and then obviously the quality of that participation.”
If pressed, Tomlin said that he would view Pickens as out more than in, but there could be an ‘outside chance’ that he would play. Tomlin said that Pickens' injury will be dealt with like all other injuries have this season, and it will be on a game-by-game basis rather than as a long-distance target.
For Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, and Mike Williams, this means bigger chances for them to show what they can do with the Steelers. Pittsburgh could also look to elevate one of the wide receivers from the practice squad that they have in Brandon Johnson, Jamal Agnew, and Quez Watkins.
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