The Pittsburgh Steelers released their first official injury report of the 2022 NFL season on Wednesday ahead of their Sunday road game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and it includes two players listed on it.
Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (shoulder) and inside linebacker Marcus Allen (hamstring) are both listed as limited practice participants on Wednesday, and that’s the extent of the first injury report of 2022.
Johnson has been nursing his shoulder injury since the team’s preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. He suffered that injury while making a catch down the left sideline.
“I tried to do everything I could, what my arm will allow me to do,” Johnson said on Wednesday, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “I’m doing everything I can literally to try to get back to the guys this Sunday. I’m taking it one day at a time. We gonna see where it goes.”
Johnson also admitted on Wednesday that there was no way he could have returned to the preseason game against the Lions due to his shoulder hurting the way it was. It will now be interesting to see if Johnson is able to practice fully by Friday and then play on Sunday against the Bengals.
If Johnson winds up sitting out inactive on Sunday, wide receiver Steven Sims would likely dress in his place. The Steelers have six total wide receivers on their 53-man active roster after moving rookie Calvin Austin III to the Reserve/Injured list last week.
As for Allen, who was recently re-signed back to the roster after initially being cut to accommodate a few injured players being moved to the Reserve/Injured list last week, he has battled his hamstring injury since about the start of training camp. That hamstring injury prevented him from playing during the preseason. Allen is expected to be the team’s upback on the punt team, so we’ll wait and see what Thursday and Friday have in store for him.
The good news on Wednesday is that several other players who missed time during training camp and the preseason are not on the Week 1 injury report. That list of players includes the likes of fullback Derek Watt, defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk, safety Miles Killebrew, cornerback Arthur Maulet, and defensive tackle Montravius Adams.
