Steelers Could Lose Four Key Players Against Lions

The Pittsburgh Steelers could be rather short-handed for their Week 16 road bout with the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

On the team's first injury report of the week, outside linebackers T.J. Watt (lung) and Nick Herbig (hamstring) as well as cornerback James Pierre (calf) and left guard Isaac Seumalo (triceps) were all listed as non-participants.

Pierre and Watt both didn't play in Pittsburgh's Week 15 victory over the Miami Dolphins while Herbig and Seumalo suffered up their injuries during the contest.

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The timeline for Watt's return is still ambiguous after his harrowing situation last week in which he was hospitalized for a partially collapsed lung that required surgery, which stemmed from a dry needling treatment he received at the Steelers' facility.

Pittsburgh certainly doesn't want to rush its franchise face back as a result, and though the expectation remains that he'll likely suit up for the team again at some point this season, perhaps a return against the Lions isn't in the cards.

“He is working through it. He is working through it,” Watt's older brother, J.J., said on "The Pat McAfee Show". “It’s obviously not somewhere that he expected or would like to be. But just handling the situation day by day and making sure to find the appropriate and proper steps to get back to where he would like to be.”

Herbig, meanwhile, logged just 27 snaps without Watt on the field vs. Miami and finished with a single pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.

The 24-year-old missed the Steelers' Week 1 season opener against the New York Jets with a hamstring injury as well.

With Watt and Herbig's status for this weekend in question, Alex Highsmith and Jack Sawyer could be in line to start and get a majority of the reps against Detroit.

Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo (73) at the line of scrimmage against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Seumalo's Recent Injury Issues

Seumalo suffered a pectoral strain vs. the Green Bay Packers in Week 8, and while he suited up the following week against the Indianapolis Colts, he was pulled from that contest and did not play against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10.

He had remained active for Pittsburgh through Week 15, at which point he injured his triceps, and now his availability is up in the air vs. the Lions.

If he can't give it a go, the Steelers could decide to mix in Ryan McCollum at left guard in his place, much like they did vs. Miami, and keep Spencer Anderson as their extra linemen in jumbo packages.

Anderson may also receive the start at the position, as he did when Seumalo was out against the Chargers.

Impact of Pierre's Injury

Pierre, who has been a revelation for the Steelers this season, was replaced by Asante Samuel Jr. against the Dolphins while starting on the boundary opposite Joey Porter Jr.

Samuel came away with an interception of Tua Tagovailoa in the first quarter and generally looked solid in his first start for Pittsburgh, which should give the team some confidence in their secondary moving forward if Pierre misses another game.

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