The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be dealing with quite a few injuries entering the Week 2 matchup on the road against the Denver Broncos, including quarterback Russell Wilson, who was slated to make his return to the Mile High City for a bit of revenge.
It doesn’t look like that will be happening. Based on initial reports entering the week, it doesn’t appear his former blindside protector in Broncos’ LT Garett Bolles will be available, either. Nor will the Broncos have running back Audric Estime.
Bolles left the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks with an ankle injury, and while X-rays and an MRI came back negative on his ankle, there’s a chance Bolles will miss the game against the Steelers. This would be a big blow to Denver’s starting offensive line against a fearsome pass rush from Pittsburgh.
Estime, who had two carries for 14 yards and a fumble in the 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, was placed on the Reserve/Injured list with an ankle injury. The Broncos signed fullback Michael Burton from the practice squad in a corresponding move.
In the Wednesday injury report ahead of the matchup with the Steelers, the Broncos listed four offensive players who missed practice, including Bolles with his ankle injury, according to denverbroncos.com.
BRONCOS WEEK 2 WEDNESDAY INJURY REPORT
DNP
OT Garett Bolles (ankle)
WR Devaughn Vele (ribs)
C Luke Wattenberg (ankle)
WR Josh Reynolds (Achilles)
LIMITED
OLB Jonah Ellis (knee)
Since being a surprise first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Broncos, Bolles has been a staple of Denver’s offensive line, logging 100 starts. The Utah product was a second-team All-Pro in 2020 and has been a steady presence for the Broncos throughout his career.
Estime was a fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame in the 2024 NFL Draft and was part of a trio at running back along with Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin for the Broncos under head coach Sean Payton.
Along with Bolles missing practice, starting center Luke Wittenberg sat out Wednesday’s practice with an ankle injury. Wattenberg played all 69 snaps for the Broncos in the 26-20 loss to the Seahawks, but the injury popped up early in the week ahead of Week 2.
Wide receivers Josh Reynolds and Devaughn Vele also missed practice, which kept some key pieces off the field offensively in the early stages of preparation for the Broncos ahead of the matchup with the Steelers. Reynolds hauled in five passes for 45 yards in the loss to the Seahawks, while Vele added eight catches for 39 yards and was one of rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s favorite targets.
