Steelers Injuries: Two WRs, New DB Banged Up

Following their 28-9 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the preseason opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers had a few new absences and departures in their first training camp practice back at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.

Wide receiver Brandon Smith did not participate at all for the Steelers on August 15 after suffering a lower-body injury on a punt against Green Bay, while fellow receiver Kaden Wetjen worked off to the side with trainers and defensive back Israel Mukuamu headed to the locker room with what appeared to be a lower-body issue as well.

Pittsburgh is working through a rather long list of injuries at the moment, which may muddy its plans for its remaining two preseason contests.

Aug 03, 2026; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Brandon Smith (87) participates in a practice session at Training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Assessing the Situation

It's unclear how serious the respective injuries of Smith, Wetjen and Mukuamu are at the moment.

Wetjen, a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft out of Iowa, had a standout performance against the Packers in which he had a 75-yard reception to go alongside a four-yard touchdown catch.

Smith, on the other hand, finished the game with two catches for 13 yards before sustaining his injury.

The 27-year-old, who also attended Iowa, was one of the stories of training camp leading into the first game of the preseason, though his status moving forward is unknown.

With Wetjen and Smith both working through injuries, they join DK Metcalf (unspecified) and Michael Pittman Jr. (lower-body) amongst Pittsburgh's players who have gone down at the position over the last week.

As for Mukuamu, he recorded a sack vs. Green Bay over 17 total snaps on the night (per Pro Football Focus).

A sixth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 out of South Carolina, Mukuamu spent the first four years of his career playing under McCarthy and reunited with him after signing a one-year deal with Pittsburgh on August 5.

The team's secondary is rather beat up as training camp nears its conclusion, with Joey Porter Jr. (back), Jalen Ramsey (knee) and Donte Kent (knee) all remaining on the PUP list while Brandin Echols is still out with an ankle injury he sustained in practice on August 6.

Among the other players who did not practice with previously reported injuries included offensive tackle Max Iheanachor (upper-body), safety Jaquan Brisker (unspecified) and defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day (unspecified).

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