Steelers center Zach Frazier in uniform for game vs. Packers despite calf injury

Pittsburgh Steelers starting center Zach Frazier was in uniform for Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers despite a calf injury suffered during the team’s most recent game.

Frazier did not practice fully all week leading up to Sunday, merely taking the field in a limited capacity twice. He carried a questionable designation headed into the game via the league-mandated injury report but was on the field about two hours before kickoff testing his body.

Frazier said he first felt the injury early during the Oct. 16 loss at the Cincinnati Bengals.

The only player on the Steelers’ active roster who was not in uniform Sunday because of injury was receiver Scotty Miller, who suffered a finger injury during the week.

The Steelers’ healthy scratches against the Packers were offensive lineman Andrus Peat, defensive lineman Logan Lee and outside linebacker DeMarvin Leal.

Peat has not been active for a game yet this season. Leal has been inactive for the past three games and Lee the past four.

No moves

Inside linebacker Malik Harrison and rookie quarterback Will Howard returned to practice, but neither was activated off injured reserve and onto the active roster in time for Sunday’s game.

Harrison, who is also a special-teams standout, suffered a knee injury during the Sept. 7 season opener. He’s been practicing for two weeks. Howard, the sixth-round pick and the quarterback of the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, suffered a finger injury early during training camp but returned to practice Wednesday.

Howard and Harrison had a full week of practice leading up to Sunday’s game. Players coming off IR must be added to the active roster within 21 days of their return to practice, or they are lost for the season.

The Steelers have had only 52 players on their 53-man roster since Oct. 16 when special-teams captain Miles Killebrew went on IR. Killebrew had season-ending knee surgery last week.

Watson makes debut

Wide receiver Christian Watson was activated off Green Bay’s physically unable to perform list Saturday and was in line to make his season debut against the Steelers.

Watson, who had a career-high seven touchdown receptions as a rookie catching passes from Aaron Rodgers in 2022, has recovered from a torn ACL suffered during last season’s regular-season finale.

Watson has 1,653 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in 38 career games.

McManus returns

Veteran kicker Brandon McManus returned for the Packers after missing the past two games because of a quadriceps injury.

Lucas Havrisik had handled the kicking duties for Green Bay’s previous two games, making all 10 of his placekicks.

The 34-year-old McManus, a 12-year veteran, returned to practice this week.

Also returning from an injury was Green Bay starting defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, who missed two games because of a knee injury.

Wicks among Packers’ scratches

Not in uniform for Green Bay were Havrisik, receiver Dontayvion Wicks (calf), offensive linemen Jacob Monk and Donovan Jennings and defensive linemen Lukas Van Ness (foot) and Warren Brinson (hamstring).

Of that group, Wicks is the only listed starter, though Van Ness typically plays a significant role. Wicks, though, might have ceded his role to Watson anyway.

Another starting receiver — rookie Matthew Golden — was in uniform against the Steelers despite a hip injury that had him listed as questionable to play Sunday.