Wide receiver Ben Skowornek has strong odds to make the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 53-man roster. His biggest hurdle to being ready for the season opener isn’t a player, but an injury. After Skowronek sat out Saturday’s preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has revealed that Skowronek is dealing with a toe injury.
Smith gave the update during a Monday press conference with reporters, the Athletic’s Mike DeFabo sharing the news.
Steelers OC Arthur Smith said that Ben Skowronek is dealing with a toe injury.
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) August 18, 2025
Skorwonek was one of nearly two dozen Steelers to sit out the game against the Buccaneers. Most missed due to veteran rest but a handful, like Skowronek, were due to injury. It’s the second receiver injury Pittsburgh is dealing with. Calvin Austin III has missed most of August due to an injury that will seemingly shelve him for the entire preseason. Roman Wilson has taken advantage of the opportunity, earning praise from Smith during the same press conference.
Skowronek’s main path to helping the team comes on special teams. A strong gunner, he logged 149 special teams snaps and made seven tackles last season despite missing a month with a shoulder injury. He didn’t receive a bountiful number of training camp targets, but consistently ran ahead of veteran Robert Woods and acted as the team’s No. 4 receiver when the group was fully healthy. Per our training camp stats, Skowronek caught 10 passes on 14 targets for 113 yards across the team periods of the Steelers’ 14 practices.
With Pittsburgh’s preseason finale Thursday, Skowronek may not make it back in time to play against the Carolina Panthers. The Steelers have enough receiving depth to get through the game without him, giving rookies like Max Hurleman, Ke’Shawn Williams, and Roc Taylor more opportunities to stick to the practice squad.
Skowronek is one of several injured Steelers. Others battling injuries include: OT Calvin Anderson (undisclosed), CB Cory Trice Jr. (hamstring), CB Donte Kent (right foot), C Ryan McCollum (undisclosed), OG Aiden Williams (undisclosed), OT Gareth Warren (concussion protocol), QB Will Howard (right hand), TE Jonnu Smith (knee), LS Christian Kuntz (possible broken sternum), EDGE Nick Herbig (hamstring), and EDGE Alex Highsmith (groin).
Mike Tomlin will speak to the media tomorrow and should offer a health update. However, the NFL doesn’t require an official preseason injury report, meaning Tomlin could be vague in addressing the status of Skowronek and others.
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