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On Saturday the Pittsburgh Steelers held their final practice in advance of Monday’s game against Washington and three of the team’s top players did not participate.
Starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was held out (listed as “questionable” with the designation NIR/knee), as was starting cornerback Steven Nelson, who is “doubtful” for Monday. Also sidelined was placekicker Chris Boswell, who has been labeled as “questionable”—that is, 50/50—for Monday’s contest with a hip issue.
Steven Nelson’s (ongoing) absence is no surprise, as he suffered a knee injury on Wednesday against Baltimore and went for an MRI on Thursday. But Boswell’s issue is brand-new, as he was not on the team’s injury report prior to Saturday.
If Boswell can’t suit up vs. Washington, the Steelers will no doubt elevate Matthew Wright from the practice squad to serve as his replacement. The Steelers signed Wright just five days ago, choosing him over Brandon Wright, a 23-year-old rookie out of Georgia State, in a tryout involving both kickers.
At the time, it seemed Matthew Wright was brought on board in case of COVID-19 emergency, as the Steelers have also added a backup long-snapper to the practice squad. But perhaps they were also worried about the condition of Boswell’s hip.
About Matthew Wright (Central Florida)
Wright is not exactly a stranger to the Steelers, though he has never kicked in an NFL regular-season game. He signed with Pittsburgh last year as an undrafted free-agent out of Central Florida and competed with Boswell for the placekicking job during the 2019 preseason, during which time he converted five of six field goal attempts. Yet the Steelers decided to stick with Boz, who rewarded Mike Tomlin & Co. with a bounce back season last year and a stellar season thus far in 2020 (16 of 17 field goal attempts made).
Stephon Tuitt Returns
On Saturday the Steelers also announced that defensive end Stephon Tuitt has been activated off the Reserve/COVID-19 list, so he’s eligible to play against Washington.
Tuitt was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on November 27th and missed Pittsburgh’s win over the Ravens. The Steelers still have three players on the COVID-19 list: center Maurkice Pouncey, running back James Conner and offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins, with Pouncey added most recently.
But getting Tuitt back is a big boost for Pittsburgh’s defense, especially with outside linebacker Bud Dupree now on injured reserve with a torn ACL.
Tuitt has 31 tackles and seven sacks in 10 games this season, as well as two forced fumbles and two passes defensed.
As for a replacement for Steven Nelson, that figured to be second-year cornerback Justin Layne (6-foot-2, 192 pounds) who has ideal size for a boundary corner and drew unsolicited praise from Mike Tomlin during this past offseason. But Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Steelers plan to start fourth-year cornerback Cam Sutton in his place.
To be sure, Sutton has more experience and has been more productive this season, credited with 19 tackles, three forced fumbles, a sack and an interception. Never mind that Layne is next in line behind Nelson on the team’s depth chart.
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Steelers’ Chris Boswell ‘Questionable’ vs Washington