Despite suffering what looked to be a serious knee injury in Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans, QB Kenny Pickett might not miss a game. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Pickett has a “legitimate’ chance to play this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens.
“Starting late Monday and into Tuesday, I got the sense he’s got a real shot to play this weekend,” he said.
Diagnosed with a bone bruise, Garafolo noted it’s more of a pain tolerance issue than anything else for Pickett to play in Week Five. There will also be an issue of mobility and how well he can scramble and extend the play, something he’s apt to do.
“There is a lot of confidence that he’s got a shot here to play this upcoming weekend,” Garafolo added.
You can read more about the injury from our Dr. Melanie Friedlander, who broke down what exactly a “bone bruise” means Wednesday morning.
During his Tuesday press conference, Mike Tomlin said Pickett would practice in some capacity today. From there, they would evaluate his level of pain, mobility, and overall performance. If he can’t start, the team will turn to veteran Mitch Trubisky, who Pickett unseated just about one year ago today. Pickett replaced him midway through Week Four and earned his first start in Week Five.
Trubisky and Pickett each logged extensive action against the Ravens once last year. Pickett was knocked out in the first meeting early. In the second matchup, he led a comeback win to keep the team’s playoff hopes alive. Trubisky replaced Pickett in the first meeting but struggled, throwing three interceptions as Baltimore won, 16-14.
Pittsburgh will release its first injury report of the week today. It’s reasonable to expect Pickett to be listed as “limited” and will make his status and participation on Thursday and Friday critical. The Steelers and Ravens kick off this Sunday at 1 PM/EST.
