Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle entered preparations for Week 3 “day-to-day” because of his toe injury. While his status hasn’t officially changed, the Steelers had a negative development with the running back before Wednesday’s practice.
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo wrote on X he saw Dowdle wearing a walking boot on his right foot.
“Rico Dowdle (toe) is wearing a foot on his right foot,” wrote DeFabo.
Shortly thereafter, Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders reported Dowdle didn’t appear to practice Wednesday.
I did not see RB Rico Dowdle (toe) or CBs Jamel Dean or Jalen Ramsey participating during the open portion of Steelers practice today,” wrote Saunders on X.
The “day-to-day” injury tag indicated that Dowdle might not practice Wednesday. The running back still has two more days of practice to prepare for Week 3, and the Steelers haven’t ruled out the veteran.
But the boot on Dowdle’s foot is naturally worrisome. Perhaps it’s more of a precaution, but NFL insider Ian Rapoport didn’t mention anything about the running back needing a boot when he reported Dowdle “checked out relatively OK” on Tuesday.
“Steelers RB Rico Dowdle, who was carted to the locker roman Sunday with a toe injury, checked out relatively OK following tests,” wrote Rapoport on X on Tuesday. “He’s considered to be day-to-day.”
Steelers RB Rico Dowdle Spotted Wearing Boot Wednesday
Again, the boot could just be providing Dowdle extra support. It’s not a definitive clue the running back has an injury status more serious than day-to-day.
The Steelers, though, will likely have to give another update on Dowdle to put any uneasiness around the running back’s injury to rest. Boots typically aren’t a good sign that a player is going to be active in four days.
Head coach Mike McCarthy didn’t specifically address Dowdle’s injury while speaking to the media Wednesday. The team also has yet to release its first injury report for the week.
Perhaps when the team releases its first Week 3 injury report Wednesday evening, there will be a couple more details about Dowdle’s injury.
In his first two games with the Steelers this season, Dowdle ran for 37 yards on 15 carries. He also caught four passes for 28 yards.
Dowdle left during the second quarter of Week 2 versus the Patriots because of his toe injury. The running back needed a cart to get to the locker room. Dowdle briefly returned during the third quarter, exited again and then didn’t re-enter the game.
Jaylen Warren to Take Over if Dowdle Can’t Play
Not a lot is going very well for the Steelers offense right now. McCarthy suggested to reporters after Sunday’s loss that he needs to simplify the offense.
One way to do that would be to just feed the ball to Jaylen Warren as much as possible.
Warren and Dowdle were supposed to be a formidable 1-2 punch in the backfield this season. That might still happen, but the Steelers will need to turn to Warren if Dowdle misses time.
Warren has always provided a raw energy to the Steelers offense as both a runner and pass-catcher. That energy is infectious and perhaps it can provide a spark to the team’s offense in a game where they might have to score a lot versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
Through two games this season, Warren has posted 89 rushing yards, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. He also has seven catches for 61 yards.
Last season, Warren started for the Steelers for the first time in his career. He gained a career-high 1,291 yards from scrimmage, which included 958 rushing yards. He also scored eight total touchdowns.
Steelers Get Sudden Bad Development on RB Rico Dowdle Injury Before Bengals Game