Despite battling a back injury that flared up mid-week, Pittsburgh Steelers CB Donte Jackson is expected to play in tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, Jackson will give it a go against the Bengals’ high-flying offense.
“Both of them are expected to play,” Dulac told KDKA’s Rich Walsh on the Steelers Kickoff Show of Jackson and CB Joey Porter Jr.’s status heading into the game.
Porter’s status is no surprise. He practiced fully throughout the week and finished without a game status after injuring his knee in Week 16. He missed the Week 17 game against the Kansas City Chiefs and will be a key addition to combat WRs Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. Porter is also looking to avoid a repeat performance of his first game against the Bengals, where he was flagged six times, the first corner to do so since 2022.
Jackson’s status was less certain. After practicing fully on Tuesday, he was listed as limited on Wednesday and Thursday, given a questionable tag on the final injury report. Though he told reporters he hoped to suit up, back injuries are tricky, and he had already missed one game because of it.
“Donte Jackson will play,” Dulac reiterated.
On the season, Jackson has 38 tackles and a career-best five interceptions. That also leads the team. But his play was waned towards the end of the year, perhaps hampered by shoulder and back issues. He’s a free agent after the season.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that Donte Jackson will finish the game. He’s left several contests this season, either returning later in the game or failing to come back. This could put Pittsburgh in a difficult situation with their five inactive players. Typically, the team has made CB Cory Trice Jr. inactive when all the corners are healthy. But given Trice’s solid play when called upon and the chance Jackson can’t finish things out, Pittsburgh may want to dress everyone at the position.
That could lead to a surprise inactive elsewhere. Perhaps TE MyCole Pruitt or TE Connor Heyward will lose out on a hat. Inactives will be announced 90 minutes before tonight’s 8 PM/EST kickoff.
