Steelers Rule Out Guard David DeCastro, Place Stefen Wisniewski on IR
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers will be one offensive lineman short during Sunday's Week 2 matchup with the Denver Broncos.
The Steelers, who also placed tackle Zach Banner on injured reserve this week, will be without guards David DeCastro and Stefen Wisniewski. This is DeCastro's second game missed.
Wisniewski left during the fourth quarter of the Steelers' season-opener against the New York Giants with a pectoral injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin said he was "leave the door open" for Wisniewski to return to practice this week, but he was unable to dress throughout the week.
The team announced on Friday that they have placed Wisniewski on injured reserve. He'll need to remain on the reserve/injured list for at least three weeks.
At the same time, the Steelers have promoted Derwin Gray from the practice squad. Gray was the team's seventh-round draft pick in 2019.
DeCastro continues to miss time with a knee injury. The All-Pro guard hasn't practiced since the team's first week of padded training camp.
Rookie Kevin Dotson will make his first NFL start in place of the injured veterans.
Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said he does have angst starting a rookie with little experience but feels confident in the group as a whole.
"I may have a little more gray hair thinking about it, but in no way that we put anybody that’s a part of our roster that I won’t get a good night sleep because I trust them," Fichtner said.
Running back James Conner also left Week 1 with an injury. He was sidelined during the second quarter due to an ankle injury. He returned to practice on Thursday and said his ankle is "trending in the right direction" for Sunday's game.
He will continue to receive treatment throughout the weekend.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and Stephon Tuitt all missed Wednesday's practice with injuries but returned by Thursday. None are listed on the team's injury report for Week 2.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
