The four Monday night teams have announced their injuries, and there are some notable names to discuss, with Markus Wheaton leading the way. A shoulder injury has kept him out of practice all week, and he’s not playing.
With the injury, the Steelers are now really done to a rag-tag collection of unproven youngsters. LeVeon Bell catches a bunch of passes for them, and he’s suspended. Martavis Bryant is suspended for the entire year, and Heath Miller is retired. How on earth is Ben Roethlisberger (who struggles on the road anyway) supposed to put up 300 yards against this defense?
They’ve still got Antonio Brown, of course, and he’s probably the best receiver in football. They’ve got Eli Rogers, a former undrafted free agent in his second year who won their slot job in training camp. To replace Wheaton on the outside, they use either Sammie Coates or Darrius Heyward-Bey. Most likely it will be Coates.
If you’re in a larger league and scrounging around looking for a Week 1 wide receiver, Rogers and Coates are on the list of candidates.
The various injuries also make Jesse James look like a pretty safe option to see a few balls at tight end.
Steelers also will be without fullback Roosevelt Nix.
Washington most notably lists Josh Doctson and Matt Jones as questionable. After missing all of August, Doctson won’t be a factor. There are too many other wide receivers who know the offense a lot better (Jackson, Garcon, Crowder, Grant, Ross). Recovering from a shoulder injury, Jones practiced fully all week, so he should be fine.
Using the old injury-reporting guidelines, Washington may have listed Jones as probable.
There are no big injuries in the West Coast game. Los Angeles will be without its slot receiver, Pharoh Cooper, but he wasn’t going to play much of a role anyway.
PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON
STEELERS
OUT: DB Senquez Golson (foot), RB Roosevelt Nix (back), C Cody Wallace (knee), WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Thursday CB Senquez Golson (foot), RB Roosevelt Nix (back), C Cody Wallace (knee), WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder)
Friday CB Senquez Golson (foot), RB Roosevelt Nix (back), C Cody Wallace (knee), WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder)
Saturday CB Senquez Golson (foot), RB Roosevelt Nix (back), C Cody Wallace (knee), WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder)
FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday T Marcus Gilbert (elbow), DT Javon Hargrave (quadricep), DE Cameron Heyward (ankle), DT Daniel McCullers (knee), S Shamarko Thomas (groin)
Friday T Marcus Gilbert (elbow), DT Javon Hargrave (quadricep), DE Cameron Heyward (ankle), DT Daniel McCullers (knee), S Shamarko Thomas (groin)
Saturday T Marcus Gilbert (elbow), DT Javon Hargrave (quadricep), DE Cameron Heyward (ankle), DT Daniel McCullers (knee), S Shamarko Thomas (groin)
WASHINGTON
QUESTIONABLE: WR Josh Doctson (achilles), DT Kedric Golston (back), RB Matt Jones (shoulder), G Spencer Long (ankle), DE Kendall Reyes (groin)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Friday T Ty Nsekhe (illness)
Saturday DT Kedric Golston (back)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday WR Josh Doctson (achilles), DE Kendall Reyes (groin)
Friday WR Josh Doctson (achilles), DE Kendall Reyes (groin)
FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday RB Matt Jones (shoulder), G Spencer Long (ankle)
Friday RB Matt Jones (shoulder), G Spencer Long (ankle)
Saturday WR Josh Doctson (achilles), RB Matt Jones (shoulder), G Spencer Long (ankle), T Ty Nsekhe (illness), DE Kendall Reyes (groin)
LOS ANGELES RAMS at SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
LOS ANGELES
OUT: WR Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), CB E.J. Gaines (thigh), WR Nelson Spruce (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: LB Bryce Hager (concussion), T Rob Havenstein (foot)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Thursday WR Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), CB E.J. Gaines (thigh), WR Nelson Spruce (knee)
Friday WR Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), CB E.J. Gaines (thigh), WR Nelson Spruce (knee)
Saturday WR Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), CB E.J. Gaines (thigh)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday LB Bryce Hager (concussion), T Rob Havenstein (foot)
Saturday WR Nelson Spruce (knee)
FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Friday LB Bryce Hager (concussion), T Rob Havenstein (foot)
Saturday LB Bryce Hager (concussion), T Rob Havenstein (foot)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (San Francisco conducted a walk-through on Saturday. The Saturday practice report is an estimation.)
DOUBTFUL: CB Chris Davis (hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE: DT Arik Armstead (shoulder), LB Nick Bellore (knee), T Anthony Davis (not injury related), DT Quinton Dial (knee), DT Glenn Dorsey (knee), CB Keith Reaser (ankle)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Thursday CB Chris Davis (hamstring), DT Glenn Dorsey (knee), CB Keith Reaser (ankle)
Friday CB Chris Davis (hamstring)
Saturday T Anthony Davis (not injury related), CB Chris Davis (hamstring)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday DT Arik Armstead (shoulder), LB Nick Bellore (knee), DT Quinton Dial (knee)
Friday DT Arik Armstead (shoulder), LB Nick Bellore (knee), DT Quinton Dial (knee), DT Glenn Dorsey (knee), CB Keith Reaser (ankle)
Saturday DT Arik Armstead (shoulder), LB Nick Bellore (knee), DT Quinton Dial (knee), DT Glenn Dorsey (knee), CB Keith Reaser (ankle)
