Injuries have plagued the Pittsburgh Steelers over the past month, and although the team received amazing news on Monday, there are still players to keep a close eye on.
Before the official injury reports for Week 1 begin to be released, here's a look at several players that have been dealing with injuries over the past several weeks in the lead-up to the regular-season opener.
Michael Pittman Jr.
Pittman has been dealing with a right leg/hamstring injury since August 8 but returned to practice on Monday, with the team optimistic he'll play this Sunday.
Jaquan Brisker
The standout safety, born and raised in Pittsburgh, went down with an undisclosed injury and missed a significant amount of practice time over the past several weeks. Luckily, he was one of the many players who returned
to practice and should be good to go for Week 1.
Joey Porter Jr.
Porter missed the entirety of training camp on the physically unable to perform list due to a back injury, but he was activated about one week ago. While some believe the absence had more to do with his contract than any potential injury, Porter's availability over the next several days will give us a better idea if he'll suit up for the season opener.
DeShon Elliott
Elliott will definitely be a player to watch over the next four weeks following his placement on injured reserve. The starting safety is still recovering from a season-ending hamstring injury. Although Elliott returned in training camp and even participated in a preseason game, the Steelers apparently are erring on the side of caution. The team's already troubling safety depth could be tested over the first few games, as the earliest Elliott can return will be Week 5.
Ben Skowronek
Pittsburgh's selfless special teamer suffered a concussion in the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills on August 27. Skowronek did practice on Monday, which gives us a better idea of where he is in the protocol and how soon we could see him back on the field.
DK Metcalf
Arguably the most concerning setback over the past month involved Metcalf, who missed almost half of training camp and the entirety of the preseason with an undisclosed injury. Metcalf admitted that he would've been available if it was a regular-season setting, and he also practiced on Monday. It appears that Aaron Rodgers will have his top two wideouts healthy for Week 1.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers injury watch: Players to track before Week 1 game vs. Falcons
