The Pittsburgh Steelers have been on the wrong side of injuries since the week leading up to Week 1. It was that week when the team lost guard Isaac Seumalo with a pectoral injury. Shortly after that the team lost Troy Fautanu for what most believe the rest of the regular season, and the hits kept coming along the offensive line after the Week 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. And those are just injuries along the offensive line.

Nonetheless, what in-game was call an ankle injury to guard James Daniels, after the game looked much more serious when he was seen with a boot and crutches while in the locker room.

James Daniels is in a walking boot on his left leg and on crutches

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) September 29, 2024

Fast forward to Monday morning, and it is now being reported Daniels’ injury isn’t an ankle, but a ruptured Achilles tendon. This is a season-ending injury for the veteran, and most durable, guard.

But the injuries sustained in Week 4 continued, all being labeled as ankle injuries.

Nick Herbig left the game in the first half, but was able to return to action in the second half.

Cordarrelle Patterson was carving up the Indianapolis Colts defense before he too left the game with an ankle injury. The only difference was he was not able to return, which left the team strapped at the running back position.

When you combine the new injuries with the other players injured on the team, you can see these injuries are starting to take their toll on the roster. Let’s take a look at some other injuries which kept players out of the game:

• Jaylen Warren (knee)
• Isaac Seumalo (pectoral)
• Alex Highsmith (groin)
• MyCole Pruitt (knee)

Is help on the way? It’s possible it could come in a variety of ways. First, the return of Seumalo would be a welcome sight to help be an anchor in the interior of the offensive line. Maybe Warren’s knee injury isn’t serious enough to keep him out for two weeks and he is good-to-go in Week 5?

But there is another wave of help which could, could being the operative word, help with some depth at key positions. After Week 4 concluded the Steelers now have those players who went on Injured Reserve (IR) prior to Week 1 eligible to return in Week 5. NFL rules state players who are eligible to return must miss 4 games, which means the following players could return if they are healthy enough to play.

• OLB Jeremiah Moon
• OT Dylan Cook
• DL Logan Lee

Mike Tomlin will address the media Tuesday at his normal time, and will likely update these injured players and those who might be returning to the roster ahead of the Week 5 prime time showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the team as they press on throughout the regular season.