Ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers opening game this weekend in Cincinnati, head coach Mike Tomlin held a press conference on Tuesday. He provided some updates on the injured players before the important Week 1 matchup against AFC North foe, the Bengals. Beat reporter Teresa Varley tweeted this in regards to the injury updates from Tomlin:
Coach Tomlin expects linebacker Alex Highsmith to be ready on Sunday.
— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) September 6, 2022
As far as Diontae Johnson he did not indicate whether or not he would be available. He said to watch the injury report.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
It seems as if Diontae Johnson may be a game-time decision against the Bengals due to his ongoing hip injury suffered nearly a month ago. His absence in the lineup would be a brutal loss to begin the season. With rookie Calvin Austin III on the IR, the presumed fourth-string entering the preseason, the black and gold would be without two of their top four wide receivers. Chase Claypool and George Pickens would have to step up in a big way, while Miles Boykin and Steven Sims would have increased roles.
This is if Johnson misses the game, but Tomlin's update doesn't exactly sound confident in his star wideout playing. That could just be him keeping the Bengals guessing, but it would be nice for starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky to have his top target on Sunday. Based off Tomlin's comments, we may not know Johnson's status until around kickoff.
The inclusion of Alex Highsmith in the starting lineup will be crucial, as he missed several practices in training camp and into the preseason due to a rib injury. The acquisition of Malik Reed would have helped in the case of Highsmith not playing, but it seems the coaching staff won't have to worry about that in Week 1. Highsmith seems primed to break out in his third season, as he starts opposite of TJ Watt for the second consecutive season.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Highsmith was expected to have a big sophomore season in 2021. While he did take a step forward, he didn't quite take the leap many thought he would. In 16 games, Highsmith finished with six sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 15 quarterback hits.
How much will the black and gold miss Johnson's presence if he doesn't play? Can the Steelers still win without him? How big is Highsmith's return to the starting lineup? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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