The off week gave the Steelers a chance to rest some weary bodies, and several players who have missed games in recent weeks have a chance to return to the lineup Sunday in Washington.
Coach Mike Tomlin said center Zach Frazier, running back Cordarrelle Patterson, outside linebacker Nick Herbig, cornerback Cory Trice and inside linebacker Tyler Matakevich will be evaluated during the week before the Steelers decide if they’ll play.
“We had a lot of guys out who will have a chance this week,” Tomlin said. “All of those guys who have been out in recent weeks, and in some cases an extended period of time, are on the cusp of it. We’ll see what roles we might carve out for them.”
Frazier sprained an ankle in the Las Vegas game and missed the Jets and Giants games. He had been one of the league’s top rookie offensive linemen in the first six weeks of the season.
Patterson has missed the past four games with an ankle injury, and Herbig has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury.
Expect the Steelers to open the 21-day window on Trice this week. He’s been on injured reserve since late September after injuring his hamstring in the Week 3 victory against the Chargers. Matakevich had his 21-day window opened last month as he works his way back from a hamstring injury.
Tomlin also said Justin Fields should be healthy enough to serve as the backup quarterback. Fields injured his hamstring before the Giants game and was designated as the No. 3 (emergency quarterback) for that game.
What he said: Tomlin on the return of defensive back Cam Sutton, who is back on the roster after serving his eight-game suspension: “That’s to be determined, but that’s one of the things that makes Cam so interesting and valuable to us. He is a utility back. His football intellect and physical capabilities is such that he can play anywhere, and he has. His last year for us, he was an outside corner. He was a nickel. He was a dime. He was capable of playing safety at times and allowed Minkah to move around and come down and do other things. That utility component is a major attraction to us. I know there has been a lot of speculation about how he and Beanie [Bishop] might function. It’s really two separate discussions. Cam is capable of playing anywhere in the secondary. If people need to be concerned about reps and division of labor, I would advise everyone in the secondary to be on notice because he’s that versatile.”
Our take: The Steelers have used three-safety packages more in recent seasons, and Sutton could end up playing on the back end of the defense if Bishop continues to thrive in the slot. Tomlin often sends messages to his players through the media, and he was clearly speaking to Damontae Kazee and Terrell Edmunds, who have been the third safeties for much of the season.
Up next: The Steelers play the Commanders in Washington on Sunday afternoon. The Commanders lead the all-time series, 43-33-3. The Commanders won the most recent meeting in December 2020, but the Steelers won the previous six meetings, including the past two in Washington. The last time the Steelers lost to the Commanders in Washington, Ronald Reagan was still president. They beat the Steelers, 30-29, in September 1988.
First Published: November 5, 2024, 5:50 p.m.
Updated: November 5, 2024, 7:18 p.m.
