For the first time since suffering a knee injury 3½ weeks ago, Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick made it through a full day’s worth of practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Fitzpatrick was a full participant at Wednesday’s session at Acrisure Stadium, according to the injury report. Coach Mike Tomlin on Tuesday had indicated Fitzpatrick might be able to return to game action this week after Fitzpatrick had sat out two weeks of practice and was a limited participant last week. Wednesday’s news reinforces the prospects for Fitzpatrick’s return for Sunday’s 1 p.m. wild-card playoff game at the Buffalo Bills.
Fitzpatrick did not play in this past Saturday’s regular-season finale at the Baltimore Ravens despite being listed as questionable on the final status report of the week 48 hours prior.
The rest of the Wednesday’s official Steelers injury report was largely status quo. Tomlin had already announced that star outside linebacker T.J. Watt would miss Sunday’s game because of a knee injury. Running back Najee Harris (knee) and left guard Isaac Seumalo (shoulder) missed practice, but that has been standard for each late in the season. Inside linebacker Elandon Roberts was a limited participant because of his pectoral injury, but Roberts played through the ailment against the Ravens.
A trio of older veterans — cornerback Patrick Peterson and defensive linemen Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi — were given partial days off by Tomlin and carried no injury designation.
For the Bills, No. 2 receiver Gabriel Davis (knee), top cornerback Rasul Douglas (knee) and backup safety Taylor Rapp (calf) did not practice because of injury. Starting left tackle Dion Dawkins (hand), starting linebacker Tyrel Dodson (shoulder) and backup running back Ty Johnson (concussion) were limited participants.
Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.
