The Pittsburgh Steelers shared their final injury news on Friday, November 14, ahead of the Week 11 divisional game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
As always, team reporter Teresa Varley broke down the injury designations, noting that starting cornerback Darius Slay (concussion), starting edge rusher Alex Highsmith (pectoral), and linebacker/special teamer Cole Holcomb (illness) will not suit up this weekend. Each was officially ruled “out” in Week 11.
On top of those three absences, starting guard Isaac Seumalo (pectoral) and cornerback Cory Trice Jr. (hamstring/knee) were both labeled as “questionable” for the Bengals matchup.
Seumalo has been in and out of the gameday lineup with a nagging pectoral issue. After missing Week 10, the veteran offensive lineman returned to practice on Wednesday. It appears he’ll have a chance to go on Sunday, although it is notable that Seumalo has previously aggravated this injury.
As for Trice, the former seventh-round pick has yet to play in a game this year. So, it’s possible that Week 11 will be his 2025 debut.
GettyPittsburgh Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith will not play in Week 11.
It’s not the first time Highsmith has missed time this season. The edge rusher was out of the lineup from Week 3 through the Week 5 bye, but he’s been healthy ever since.
Needless to say, another injury has been “frustrating” for Highsmith.
“It’s just frustrating for something like this to pop up because I’m someone who really takes care of my body and does a lot extra to make sure these things don’t happen,” the veteran stated earlier this week.
“I just have to continue to rehab,” he added. “It’s frustrating because I care and I do a lot. I put a lot of work into my body, so I just have to continue to rehab and get it right.”
Highsmith also said that he was “optimistic” about playing through this pectoral injury in Week 11, but apparently, that’s not going to happen. Rising pass rusher Nick Herbig will presumably start in place of Highsmith.
The Steelers aren’t the only ones with different injuries to manage in Week 11. Cincinnati has its fair share, including star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and draft pick Shemar Stewart (both ruled out), as well as backup running back Samaje Perine (ruled out).
The other key injury to watch will be quarterback Joe Flacco. With Joe Burrow still working his way back from injury, Flacco has been key to the Bengals’ success.
Flacco did not practice on Friday after logging a “limited” practice session on Thursday, but he’s still expected to start on Sunday, according to Bengals columnist Mike Petraglia.
Similarly, ESPN beat reporter Ben Baby relayed the following on Flacco on November 14.
“A good week for Bengals QB Joe Flacco as he continues to deal with the sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder,” Baby stated.
He added a quote from Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who said: “Seemingly, he’s in a better spot this week. I feel very good about him playing on Sunday.”
It appears Flacco will at least give it a go in Week 11, although it should be noted that he seems to be playing through an injury.
Moreover, Jefferson is coming off back-to-back performances in which he hasn’t even hit 50 or more receiving yards. The Vikings star is in the middle of his prime years, and he’s posted 1,400 or more receiving yards in four of his five NFL seasons. However, it doesn’t appear that he will hit 1,400-plus receiving yards this campaign.
Amid the struggles, NBC Sports NFL insider Mike Florio shared a blunt assessment on why Jefferson is struggling this season.
“I’m struggling here to get the right words because I love Justin Jefferson, and I think he’s awesome, and I think he can get back to that,” Florio said on the November 14 edition of “Pro Football Talk Live.”
“But part of me is thinking maybe the other guys are just better now. Maybe it’s not like we’re going to flip a switch. Maybe they’ve figured out how to defend him. Three years later, three years older, three years of wear and tear. I have to force myself to articulate these words, but I think we at least have to account for the possibility.
“The possible explanations are that guy doesn’t work here anymore. You’re not that guy anymore. You’re not going to be that guy again. We’ve seen candles burn very brightly and then not… It’s only Year 6. But if I’m looking at all the potential explanations, one of them is the competition has gotten better. And maybe it’s because he’s not the guy he was three years ago for whatever reason.”
For Jefferson’s first four seasons in the league, he had former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins passing him the ball, followed by Sam Darnold. Nonetheless, that same success that the wideout had with these veteran quarterbacks hasn’t translated to McCarthy.
As a result, NBC Sports’ Michael Holley stated, in that same segment, that Jefferson is paying the price for the learning process that the young Vikings quarterback is going through in Year 2, which is technically Year 1, considering he missed his rookie season due to injury.
“He’s a great receiver, and I think most great receivers say, ‘Just throw me the ball, I can make any quarterback look good,’ but [the Vikings have had] a lot of change [at quarterback] in the last three years,” Holley said. “And I think that has affected him, too. He was being nice about J.J. McCarthy [saying], ‘He’s a great player.’ No, he’s not.
“He might become one, but he’s not playing like a great player right now and maybe he doesn’t know how to get you the ball the way you really want it. Maybe he doesn’t fully understand what you’re capable of. He’s trying, but he’s still too green to figure out what he has in Justin Jefferson. It’s a tough spot. I think he’s just as frustrated as AJ Brown, but he’s expressing it in a different way.”
Even though defenses keep bracketing and doubling Jefferson, adding to the frustration around the standout receiver, he made it clear that he still enjoys playing for the Vikings.
“I wouldn’t say I lost it, but of course it’s a little bit difficult when teams play me the way they have been playing me,” Jefferson said. “I don’t have those one-on-one coverages as much as I used to, and that’s probably why I missed ‘Year 3 Jets,’ because I’m having a little bit less double coverages and a lot less attention than, of course, now. So I guess you can say that kind of takes away a little bit of the joy, but I still love going out there and playing football.”