Notebook: Steelers down to No. 3 left guard after J.C. Hassenauer injury

It will be three games, three starting left guards for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

J.C. Hassenauer’s inability to play during Sunday’s game at the Cincinnati Bengals was cemented by way of the injury report released Friday. Hassenauer started last week’s loss at the Los Angeles Chargers in place of starter Kevin Dotson, who went on injured reserve because of an ankle injury suffered during the prior game.

Hassenauer, though, suffered a pectoral injury early during the game in Los Angeles.

The Steelers have options for who will be the proverbial next man up. There is no backup to Hassenauer listed on the team’s official depth chart. Veteran Joe Haeg came on for Hassenauer last week, but Haeg is more of a natural tackle. B.J. Finney spent several seasons as the Steelers’ top backup at all three interior line positions, but the coaching staff turned to both Hassenauer and Haeg instead of him the past two weeks.

Finney was plagued by a back injury earlier this season, but coach Mike Tomlin on Tuesday indicated Finney is fully healthy.

Another option is Rashaad Coward, who was re-signed to the practice squad this week. Coward signed with the Steelers over the offseason and made the team coming out of training camp before being released last month. Following a nine-day stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Coward was available again.

Coward has 15 career NFL starts, all with the Chicago Bears in 2019-20.

Ebron out

As expected, veteran tight end Eric Ebron was ruled out of Sunday’s game. Ebron suffered a knee injury during the Chargers game, and it is expected to be serious. The Steelers could announce a roster move placing him on injured reserve as soon as Saturday.

Kevin Rader was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster earlier this week, giving the Steelers a three-man tight ends corps with Rader, Zach Gentry and rookie starter Pat Freiermuth.

#NajeeHarris with a leave me alone shove to the @steelers head team physician as he heads off the field. pic.twitter.com/cryXGhMRPD

— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) November 22, 2021

Harris OK

Running back Najee Harris did not spend any time on the injury report this week after he had been evaluated for a possible concussion during the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s game. After lying on the turf and being attended to by training personnel, Harris appeared agitated with Steelers team physician Dr. James Bradley after Bradley apparently informed him that Harris would be subjected to NFL concussion protocols.

“I ain’t trying to speak on it too much,” Harris told reporters Friday. “They took me in for a concussion protocol, and I passed. That’s all I want to talk about it.”

Harris was back in the game for the Steelers’ final drive last week.

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