Steelers Could Get Major Boost For Ravens Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers need all hands on deck for their Week 18 showdown with the Baltimore Ravens, and it appears three key pieces on defense are trending towards returning after missing time due to their respective injuries.

With the AFC North and a playoff berth on the line, outside linebacker T.J. Watt (lung) as well as cornerbacks James Pierre (calf) and Brandin Echols (groin) were all listed as limited participants on the Steelers' first injury report of the week, which is a promising sign for their availability against Baltimore.

Both Watt and Pierre have missed Pittsburgh's last three games, while Echols was only out for the team's Week 17 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

Tomlin Optimistic About Watt's Chances of Playing

During his weekly press conference on Dec. 30, head coach Mike Tomlin stated that he feels better about Watt's prospects of suiting up against the Ravens than he has since the 31-year-old first suffered his injury.

"I'm optimistic about his potential inclusion in this game," Tomlin said. "We'll work him up throughout the course of the week and let the amount of participation and the quality of participation be our guide in terms of whether or not he's a participant. But certainly more optimistic this week than I have been in previous weeks as I stand here today."

Watt, who signed a three-year extension worth $123 million just ahead of training camp, sustained a partially collapsed lung at Pittsburgh's facility that was a result of dry needling treatment.

The Steelers' pass rush has remained rather potent in his absence, with Alex Highsmith, Jack Sawyer and Nick Herbig all stepping up in certain spots, but Watt's potential return would make the group all the more intimidating and dangerous in a must-win contest this weekend.

Nov 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Brandin Echols (26) breaks up a pass intended for Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey (15) during the first quarter of the game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

How Steelers' Secondary Could Shape Up vs. Baltimore

While Pierre has been sidelined, Asante Samuel Jr. has stepped in as the starter opposite of Joey Porter Jr. on the boundary and performed rather well over those three contests.

Meanwhile, Jalen Ramsey moved down to the slot with Echols out vs. the Cleveland Browns last week after having moved to safety during Week 9.

Should Pierre and Echols both be back on the field against the Ravens, however, it'll be interesting to see how the Steelers divvy out the snaps, particularly as it pertains to the former with Samuel proving himself capable of holding down a starting role.

Echols, meanwhile, should receive his typical workload from the slot while Ramsey goes back to safety, though perhaps the latter could help spell the former and thus Chuck Clark could earn some reps.

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