Stacy Revere/Getty Images Allen Lazard of the Green Bay Packers is defended by Cameron Sutton of the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 03, 2021.
On Friday, October 8, the Pittsburgh Steelers released their third and final injury and participation report of Denver Broncos week.
Lo and behold, two Steelers players—cornerback Cameron Sutton and wide receiver James Washington—have already been ruled out of Sunday’s game with groin injuries.
It’s a continuation of a trend that has seen at least one Steelers player appear on each week’s injury report with a groin issue, a trend that peaked during Week 3 of the 2021 season, when the report featured four defensive starters: outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, plus inside linebacker Devin Bush Jr. and cornerback Joe Haden.
Also ruled out for October 10 vs. the Broncos (3-1) are backup defensive tackle Carlos Davis (knee) and backup offensive lineman Rashaad Coward (ankle). Davis’ injury is particularly curious as he appeared in Pittsburgh’s season-opening win over Buffalo but hasn’t played since. Nor was he ever placed on the injured reserve list, as one might expect from a backup who is on the verge of missing his fourth consecutive game (and counting).
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The Good News from Friday’s Injury Report
As for the seven other Steelers players on Friday’s injury report, all were full participants in practice on Friday and all are expected to be full-go against Denver.
Those individuals are:
QB Ben Roethlisberger (pectoral/hip)
WR Chase Claypool (hamstring)
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (ribs)
OG Trai Turner (illness)
OG Kevin Dotson (hip)
OT Chukwuma Okorafor (concussion)
DL Cameron Heyward (neck)
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Broncos Have 5 Players Listed as ‘Questionable’
Meanwhile, Sunday’s opponent has its share of injury concerns as well. While only one Broncos player has already been ruled out—that being tight end Albert Okwuegbunam (hamstring)—Denver has four starters listed as “questionable,” headlined by starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who is recovering from a concussion suffered last weekend in a 23-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Also given a 50/50 chance of playing Sunday are first-string running back Melvin Gordon III (lower leg), wide receiver Courtland Sutton (ankle) and cornerback Pat Surtain II (chest), plus wideout Diontae Spencer, who also has a chest injury.
If Bridgewater can’t start at quarterback, the Broncos will turn to backup Drew Lock, who started when the two teams met at Heinz Field early in the 2020 season. On that day, the Pittsburgh defense knocked Lock out of the game with a shoulder injury and went on to record seven sacks en route to a 26-21 victory.
But according to a report by ESPN senior writer Jeff Legwold, Bridgewater will start against the Steelers if “he is cleared through the last step of the concussion protocol Saturday morning.”
Bridgewater has looked sharp this season. The 28-year-old former first-round pick (Minnesota Vikings, 2014) has completed 80 of 111 passes for 892 yards, with five touchdown passes and no interceptions, this according to Pro Football Reference. He has a passer rating of 110.6, eleventh-best among NFL quarterbacks thus far this season.
Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 10 at Heinz Field.
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