While the Pittsburgh Steelers certainly do have a long list of injured players as they continue to prepare for their Week 5 home game against the New York Jets, it appears as though they will have one of their starting offensive linemen back this weekend.
According to Chris Mueller of The Beaver County Times, center Maurkice Pouncey said Thursday that left guard Ramon Foster will return to the field Sunday against the Jets after missing the team’s Week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a chest injury.
“Ramon’s playing. 100 percent,” Pouncey reportedly said.
If indeed Foster is able to return to action on Sunday, the Steelers might not have to promote offensive lineman Matt Feiler from their practice squad on Saturday even though tackle Marcus Gilbert (ankle), tackle Ryan Harris (shin) and center/guard Cody Wallace (knee) all could be sidelined this weekend with injuries.
Should Gilbert and Harris not play against the Jets, Chris Hubbard would start at right tackle for the Steelers and if Foster returns, B.J. Finney will serve as the team’s swing interior offensive lineman. Wallace, by the way, has already been ruled out for Sunday while Gilbert is considered highly questionable to play against the Jets.
On Wednesday, Pouncey took a few reps at tackle just in case he might be needed should something happen to either Hubbard or Alejandro Villanueva on Sunday.
The fact that the Steelers didn’t add any offensive linemen to their practice squad this week is probably a good sign that they expect Foster to play against the Jets and quite possibly Harris as well.
On Wednesday, Foster was listed as having practiced fully while Harris sat out the session. We’ll see what the Thursday injury report has to say in a few hours from now when it comes to both of those players.
