Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin offered an injury update heading into Monday’s Week 8 contest against the New York Giants. During his weekly Tuesday press conference, Tomlin ruled out NT Montravius Adams for Monday night.
“Mon Adams has sustained a knee injury in-game,” Tomlin told reporters Tuesday via the team’s YouTube channel. “He can be characterized as out for this game.”
Tomlin did not have a timetable for when Adams could return.
However, Tomlin said LB Tyler Matakevich and RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson are in position to return this week.
“As we stand here today in terms of this week, got a couple of guys that are positioning themselves to return to action,” Tomlin said. “Tyler at the linebacker position, is in position to work his way back to us. And so is Patterson at running back. And so like in all circumstances, we’ll first start with limited participation and then look at the amount of that participation and the quality of that participation to determine whether or not we’ll consider those guys as we get close to game time.”
Matakevich has been on IR with a hamstring injury since just after the team’s Week 2 win over the Denver Broncos, but it appears the team will open his practice window this week, most likely before Wednesday’s practice. Patterson will get the backfield back to full strength, something the Steelers have rarely had this season.
Tomlin also said he expects S Damontae Kazee to be back in action and not have any restrictions against the Giants. A late rule out last week, Tomlin said he was at the “doorstep of availability” but ultimately was inactive against the Jets. CB Donte Jackson is also expected to play after missing most of the Jets game with a shoulder injury.
Finally, Tomlin said he had no updates on EDGE Nick Herbig and C Zach Frazier. Both were ruled out by Tomlin during last week’s press conference.
“Nothing to add in terms of their availability,” he said.
Adams injured his knee on his first and only snap of the Steelers’ Sunday night victory over the New York Jets. He appeared on the Steelers’ Friday injury report with the injury and entered the weekend questionable. Pittsburgh amended its report on Saturday, removing Adams from the report and clearing him to play but he evidently tweaked it again against the Jets.
Jackson missed about three quarters of the game with a shoulder injury he’s battled throughout the season. Initially reported by the team to be expected to return, he was later ruled out. James Pierre replaced him and finished the game. The Steelers have dressed only four cornerbacks for several weeks but added a fifth in C.J. Henderson, signed off their practice squad to avoid being poached by another team.
Several players failed to play against the Jets due to injury. EDGE Nick Herbig (hamstring), S Damontae Kazee (ankle), WR Roman Wilson (hamstring), RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle), and C Zach Frazier (ankle). Herbig and Kazee suffered their injuries in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys, Patterson has been out since Week 4 versus the Indianapolis Colts, Frazier went down in the second half of the Steelers’ Week 6 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, and Wilson injured his hamstring last Thursday during practice.
Tomlin didn’t comment on whether Wilson will play this week but acknowledged the lack of reps led him to being inactive for the Jets game.
Pittsburgh opened up the 21-day return window for OT Dylan Cook last Thursday after he suffered a summer foot injury. Limited in his first practice, he worked fully on Friday but was still ruled out for the game. The Steelers could activate him from IR on Monday, though they’ll need to clear a roster spot to do so. It could come at the expense of backup OT Calvin Anderson, who was signed earlier this month. Tomlin didn’t mention Cook during his initial review of the team’s injury status.
The Steelers and Giants kick off Monday night at 8:15 PM/EST.
