The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without WR2 Calvin Austin III when they face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Steelers officially ruled out Austin on Friday. But cornerback Jalen Ramsey could still play.
Ramsey hinted at the possibility of playing but was coy while speaking to the media Friday.
Steelers make Final
“We’ll see,” said Ramsey, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
In a new update Saturday morning, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo more than hinted at a positive development with Ramsey. Fittipaldo reported Ramsey had been upgraded from “questionable” on the injury report to “expected to play” in Week 6.
Ramsey didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday. However, the Steelers official injury report listed Ramsey as a full participant in Friday’s practice.
The cornerback suffered his hamstring injury during the team’s Week 4 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland. But he received extra rest during the team’s Week 5 bye.
Both Ramsey and Austin, who suffered a shoulder injury versus the Vikings, were first expected land on injured reserve after sustaining their injuries on September 28.
Neither have landed on IR. But the Steelers have already ruled out Austin for Week 6.
Steelers’ Jalen Ramsey Questionable for Week 6
The media asked Ramsey several more follow-up questions on his injury and recovery from the hamstring issue. The most notable one was probably about the Steelers playing two games in the span of five days.
Ramsey tried to avoid answering the question. The cornerback, though, then confirmed that it matters to him that the Steelers have their next game Thursday night.
The Steelers will visit the Cincinnati Bengals on October 16 for Week 7, four days after playing the Browns.
Reading the tea leaves, it sounds as though the Steelers coaching staff didn’t want to take for granted that the team would defeat the Browns without Ramsey. The cornerback, though, might have preferred to not play against Cleveland, receive extra rest and then play against the Bengals.
That’s pure speculation. But those are the pros and cons the Steelers are navigating over the next week with Ramsey and any of their injured players.
Every division game in the NFL is important. But the Steelers can take firm control of the AFC North with wins against the Browns and Bengals.
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