NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport gave an update on the status of Kenny Pickett and his ankle injury during an appearance on Good Morning Football Monday, and while Rapoport confirmed Gerry Dulac’s initial report that Pickett is undergoing surgery today, he added that Pickett isn’t expected to be placed on IR, which is good news for his return with his two to four-week timeline.
“Kenny Pickett is going to have ankle surgery today, he has been dealing with an ankle injury really all season,” Rapoport said. “Described to me as like a tightrope-type surgery, the kind that you would have for a high ankle sprain. He is out this Thursday and going forward, he is not expected to be placed on injured reserve. That is a good sign, that is a sign at least the team believes there’s a chance he comes back within that four-week window.”
If the Steelers thought that Pickett’s injury was going to sideline him closer to four or more weeks, he would go on IR so the team could free up a roster spot. But they clearly don’t think the injury rehab and recovery will take that long, and Pickett can return earlier in that timeline. Rapoport added context on Twitter that the Steelers are “keeping the door open” that Pickett can return for Week 18.
Week 18 is five weeks from now, so if Pickett is able to return by Week 18, he’d miss four games before his return. He would miss games against the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks if he does miss four weeks, which was the high end of the timeline that Dulac reported.
The tightrope surgery that Rapoport said Pickett is undergoing is a common surgery to repair a high ankle sprain, which it sounds is the injury that Pickett suffered. It’s an interesting tidbit too that Pickett has been dealing with the injury all season, as the first time we had heard of it was during Mike Tomlin’s Tuesday press conference before the Cardinals game. Pickett also had a knee injury and a rib injury that knocked him out of games this season, but Thursday’s matchup against the New England Patriots will be the second start he’s missed in his career due to injury. He also missed a game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 15 last season with a concussion.
Pickett suffered the injury in the second quarter after trying to scramble for a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 24-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He did not return to the game and was replaced by QB Mitch Trubisky, who will be Pittsburgh’s starter going forward.
