The Pittsburgh Steelers are banged up at wide receiver. They are also dealing with multiple injuries along the defensive line.
But that could change by the end of the season.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy provided an overall message on the team’s injuries to reporters this week. McCarthy stopped short of ruling out any current injured player for the remainder of the season.
“I think all those guys have a chance to — I think they all have a chance to come back,” said McCarthy on Thursday.
Most notably, Pittsburgh’s injury list includes Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson, Derrick Harmon, and Sebastian Joseph-Day. It also includes Gennings Dunkar, Logan Lee and Jack Driscoll.
Steelers Get Positive Update on WR Roman Wilson
McCarthy didn’t address any player on IR specifically Thursday. But Steelers fans received more details on a couple injured players from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo. The most encouraging update was on Wilson.
In a fan chat Thursday, Fittipaldo wrote the wide receiver, “was in the rehab group at practice for the first time” the day prior.
After the Cleveland Browns matchup on November 1, the Steelers will have a bye. Wilson will then be eligible to return in Week 10 on November 15.
With two additional weeks to heal, that might be the target return date for Wilson.
Before the injury, Wilson was having the best start to a season in his career. Granted, he was pretty invisible at times last season and barely played at all in 2024.
Still, Wilson returning should be a decent boost for the Steelers receiving corps. That doesn’t mean the team won’t also add a wideout at the NFL trade deadline. But Wilson would provide more depth as a developing youngster.
In five games this season, Wilson has 14 catches, 188 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
When Will Derrick Harmon Return?
Because of their lack of receiving depth, it’s arguably more important for the Steelers to get Wilson back. But as a former first-round pick and budding star, Harmon is the best player on Pittsburgh’s IR.
The good news is insider Mark Kaboly stated last week that he saw Harmon walking around the locker room without any support. Fittipaldo, though, reported the defensive lineman isn’t working with the rehab players at practice yet.
Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton and Yahya Black are admirably holding down the defensive front without Harmon. When Harmon returns, though, the team’s defense could reach yet another level.
Harmon had one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble in four games before his injury.
The Steelers could further solidify their receiver and defensive line units with the returns of Pittman and Joseph-Day. It’s not clear, though, when either might be ready to come back.
Joseph-Day just landed on IR last week, so he will miss at least two more games after the bye week.
Steelers’ Mike McCarthy Offers Significant Injury Update