After already being ruled out for the Week 16 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals Saturday at Acrisure Stadium, it turns out that Pittsburgh Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick might miss even more time with his knee injury.
According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers insider Gerry Dulac, Fitzpatrick’s knee injury suffered against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15 was described as “not good” to him, and that he expects him to miss a few weeks.
In his latest chat with readers Wednesday morning at post-gazette.com, Dulac stated that Fitzpatrick has a chance to return in Week 18 against the Baltimore Ravens, but offered no update on fellow safety Keanu Neal, who remains on the Reserve/Injured list.
“I have been told it’s not good, which I take to mean it might be at least two games. But we’ll see,” Dulac said in response to a reader when asked for some insight on Fitzpatrick’s injury.
Dulac also stated to a reader when asked who of Fitzpatrick and Neal might play again this year, that “Minkah might. Maybe for Baltimore.”
Neal has been on the Reserve/Injured list since Nov. 18 after suffering a rib injury on his interception return against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10.
Fitzpatrick was injured in the first half against the Colts last Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium after veteran defensive back Patrick Peterson came down on his knee following a Colts reception. Fitzpatrick’s injury occurred one play after safety Damontae Kazee was ejected for his hit on Indianapolis wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., forcing Peterson to play some safety in the second half with the Steelers were thin at the position.
Following his knee injury, Fitzpatrick attempted to jog on the sideline, but then sat alone on the bench without medical attention before being ruled out of the game.
On Monday, head coach Mike Tomlin stated that Fitzpatrick was out for Saturday’s game against the Bengals. Shortly after Tomlin’s press conference, the NFL suspended Kazee for the rest of the season, leaving the Steelers very thin at the safety position in Week 16.
Based on Dulac’s comments to a reader, that could be the case down the stretch, too. If Fitzpatrick misses a couple of weeks, that presumably would be the matchup against the Bengals on Saturday and then the Week 17 road trip to take on the Seattle Seahawks. Depending on where the Steelers are in the playoff picture, Fitzpatrick could theoretically return in Week 18 on the road against the Ravens in the regular season finale, though it depends on the severity of his knee injury.
This isn’t the first injury Fitzpatrick has dealt with this season. He missed four games with a hamstring injury that he suffered in the first quarter of Week Eight against the Jacksonville Jaguars before then returning in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals. His return was a key one, but the Steelers lost all three games he played in following his return.
Now, they’ll be without him again, at least for Week 16, and possibly beyond.
