The Pittsburgh Steelers have headed across the pond for Week 4, with Aaron Rodgers and company set to take on Carson Wentz and the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in Dublin, Ireland.
Mike Tomlin’s squad will attempt to make it two wins in a row and three wins in four weeks, which would be a promising start for the new-look Steelers with Rodgers under center.
Although the Steelers have some momentum after bouncing back from the Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks with a win over the New England Patriots, the team has some injury concerns for some key players on both sides of the football ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Vikings.
Steelers RB Jaylen Warren is Dealing With a Knee Injury
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is dealing with a knee injury heading into Sunday’s game overseas against the Vikings.
Warren is officially questionable for Sunday’s game in Dublin, and if he’s ultimately ruled out, it would be a costly blow for the Steelers’ offense. He has been arguably the team’s best offensive weapon over the first three weeks of the season.
The 26-year-old running back has racked up 274 yards from scrimmage and one receiving touchdown. Warren has hauled in 11 receptions, which is the second-most on the team behind tight end Jonnu Smith (12) and ahead of DK Metcalf (10).
As one of Rodgers’ favorite targets in the passing game, the running back’s presence will be missed in Week 4 if he doesn’t play.
Steelers’ Injury Concerns in Week 4
GettyHead coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the first half against the Seattle Seahawks.
Along with Warren dealing with a knee injury, the Steelers have a few other notable names on the injury report heading into this overseas showdown with the Vikings. Smith, the team’s leading receiver with 12 catches, is battling a hip issue, which means Rodgers could be without two of his best targets downfield on Sunday.
The offense could be shorthanded in Week 4, and so might the defense. Linebacker Alex Highsmith has already been ruled out with an ankle injury, and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is nursing a hamstring issue, which is always a tricky injury to deal with.
With a few games in the books, most teams in the NFL are already starting to deal with costly injuries on both sides of the football, and the Steelers are no different. Even the Vikings have their injury issues, with quarterback J.J. McCarthy being ruled out for this game due to an ankle issue, which has thrust Wentz back into the spotlight for a second straight game for Minnesota.
As of Saturday, the Vikings are slightly favored (-2.5) in this matchup overseas, and that could become heavily favored if Warren and Porter end up being ruled out. Pittsburgh will likely turn to running back Kenneth Gainwell in the backfield, who has made a decent impact with limited carries (16) so far, rushing for 55 yards and a touchdown over the course of the first three games.
