Week 9 injury report (Titans)

The Steelers didn’t practice Monday, but if they did, the one player who wouldn’t have seen the field was safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and missed the rest of the game.

“Minka can be described as out. He suffered a hamstring injury,” coach Mike Tomlin said during his weekly press conference. “I don’t have additional information regarding the timing of that injury, but it’s safe to say he won’t be available for us during the shortened week.

“Obviously losing Minka is a big loss. It’s a multi-man job, not a one-man job fortunately. We have some veterans there, guys like (Myles) Killebrew, (Damontae) Kazee and Keanu Neal who are veterans.” NFL players, this lessens the impact hopefully, but obviously it’s not a one-man job when you’re talking about replacing Minka, whether you’re talking about his playmaking ability or the pivot to his communication ability.

As for quarterback Kenny Pickett, there’s still a possibility he could start Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans at Acressor Stadium, but his status is up in the air.

“I think the door is completely open for Kenny,” Tomlin said. “It will probably be a decision at game time based on the information I have here today, with there being no structural damage to his ribs. We’ll see how we go during the week. His throwing ability, his level of comfort, his effectiveness, let that be our guide in terms of determining how far Availability.”

Tomlin also said they will continue to consider defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and running back Anthony McFarland Jr., as a 21-day window has opened for both to return to action from the reserve/injured list.

“The camera will be in mind this week,” Tomlin said. “Anthony McFarland will be a consideration this week. So, we have some things to juggle from a staff standpoint in terms of listing who will be an element of the plan and available to us, and then, how much will they be doing? “Being available to us is another element. Also an item for discussion. But we will gain clarity in these areas as we progress through the week and get closer to game time.”

Below is an estimate for participation in the practice.