Three weeks into the 2025-26 campaign, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves boasting a winning record. That’s nothing new for Mike Tomlin’s crew, though, so they’re playing the long game in hopes of achieving success in January.
They can’t get there without staying healthy, however. As Week 4’s international contest against the Minnesota Vikings approaches, Tomlin had a variety of injury updates to share.
Mike Tomlin Provides Mixed Bag of Week 4 Injury News for Several Steelers Players
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Tomlin provided the latest on linebacker Alex Highsmith, safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
There’s some good news, although no one is out of the woods and Highsmith will indeed miss another week.
“From a health perspective, just giving you an update on some guys,” Tomlin began. You can characterize Alex Highsmith as out this week with his ankle. DeShon Elliott and Joey Porter certainly have a chance. I just saw DeShon working out just a few minutes ago. We’ll work those guys this week and let the amount of their participation and the quality of their participation be our guide in terms of their participation in-game, but also the amount of participation.”
Tomlin points to Week 3’s management of rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon as a precedent to follow regarding playing time for either of Elliott or Porter.
We were in a similar situation last week with Derrick Harmon, for example,” Tomlin said. “He was deemed healthy enough to play [and] we got him in uniform, but we were cognizant of the number of snaps that he played. Health and football readiness and conditioning at times can be different things. We’ll watch those guys close and make appropriate decisions at the latter part of the week.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Highsmith, nursing an ankle injury, will sit out another game. He avoided going on injured reserve when Isaiahh Loudermilk went on the list last week, so that’s a positive development.
Elliott, a seventh-year man, missed Weeks 2 and 3 with an MCL injury. The same is true for Porter, who sustained a hamstring ailment late in Week 1’s triumph over the New York Jets.
CB Darius Slay Jr. Gets Good Update for Week 4
Considering Minnesota just hung 48 points on the Cincinnati Bengals, getting a player or two back would help the Steelers on defense.
Keeping cornerback Darius Slay Jr. in the fold is also a plus. The 34-year-old has been banged up a bit in the early stages of the season. He played every defensive snap in Weeks 1 and 2 and logged 63 reps (85% of those available) in Week 3. A shoulder injury bothered Slay heading into last Sunday’s win over the New England Patriots, but he played through the pain before suffering a leg ailment.
Tomlin describes it as a contusion. It may be managed throughout the week of practice, but Slay projects to get an all-clear before Sunday’s Vikings game in Dublin, Ireland.
“We had some bumps and bruises associated with play that might limit a few people at the early portions of the week, but certainly probably doesn’t make their availability a question mark,” Tomlin said. “For example, Slay was in and out of the game a few times with a leg contusion. It may slow him at the early portions of the week, but certainly expect him to be available for us as we push forward toward game time.”
As the week of practice rolls on, the Steelers can feel solid about where they’re at on the health front.
Mike Tomlin Drops Steelers Week 4 Injury Updates on Joey Porter Jr. & Others