Steelers press on without Kenny Pickett, Minkah Fitzpatrick, whose statuses vague for Thursday

Chris Adamski
Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 7:23 p.m. | Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 7:23 p.m.

Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick watches from the sidelines late in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fitzpatrick suffered a hamstring injury early in the game and did not return.

Facing one of the AFC’s best teams Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers had to play most of the game without two of the players who were most important to their chances of winning.

All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick suffered a hamstring injury during the first quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Quarterback Kenny Pickett was lost to a rib injury after absorbing a hit on the first half’s penultimate play from scrimmage.

“It hurts, but we always have got that next-man-up mentality,” cornerback Joey Porter Jr. said. “Once one guy goes out, the next guy has to step up and make the most of his opportunity.”

In the case of Pickett’s position Sunday, that next man up was Mitch Trubisky. Without Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee played more significant roles and special-teams captain Miles Killebrew served as the No. 3 safety in packages when one was deployed.

The Steelers did not alter their defensive game plan after the loss of Fitzpatrick, who has been a first-team AP NFL All-Pro in three of his four seasons with the Steelers. Fitzpatrick was well away from the play when he went down because of the injury without being contacted while running in coverage of Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk.

“Obviously, he’s a quality player,” coach Mike Tomlin said of Fitzpatrick, “but I don’t know that it reduced us schematically in any way.”

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Tomlin after the game did not have any meaningful update on the statuses of Fitzpatrick or Pickett. Each was in the Steelers locker room after the game, mingling with teammates and not in any sort of visible discomfort nor seen wearing any apparatus such as a wrap.

The Steelers have a short week before hosting the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night.

After he was driven into the ground by Jaguars defensive lineman Adam Gotsis with 17 seconds left in the second quarter, Pickett was attended to on the field by training personnel.

Trubisky took the final offensive snap of the first half for the Steelers. Pickett went onto the field before the second half and began to warm up, and the Steelers announced he was likely to return to the game. But Trubisky came out for the start of the Steelers’ first offensive drive of the second half, and shortly afterward the team announced Pickett would not return.

“Kenny knows his body better than anyone,” said Trubisky, who went 15 of 27 for 138 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. “He tried to go out there and throw, and if he didn’t feel like he was 100%, he shouldn’t put himself in that position.”

Johnson, Moore return

The only other Steelers players who missed time Sunday because of injury were receiver Diontae Johnson and left tackle Dan Moore. Each, though, was out of the game only briefly and returned.

Porter starts

The Joey Porter Jr. era, in earnest, got underway Sunday.

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The rookie selected No. 32 overall by the Steelers made his first NFL start despite being limited in practice Thursday and Friday because of a calf injury. Porter’s enhanced status on the depth chart Sunday, though, was more attributable to starting outside cornerback Levi Wallace being inactive because of a foot injury.

Porter on Sunday accepted the blame for Jacksonville’s only touchdown during their 20-10 win, a 56-yard catch-and-run by Travis Etienne.

Porter was on the field for all packages and situations throughout the game against the Jaguars.

“It went pretty well,” Porter said, “but definitely wish we had the win.”

The Steelers’ No. 4 outside cornerback, James Pierre, was in uniform Sunday despite missing Friday’s practice because of an ankle injury.

Pierre came in throughout the game when the Steelers went to their dime package.

Porter, Wallace and Pierre all were listed as questionable Friday on the official status report.

Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.