Steelers' Justin Fields injury update ahead of Christmas Day game vs. Chiefs
12/23/2024 09:24 AM
The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to turn things around after suffering back-to-back losses.
But doing just that is going to be easier said than done, with the reigning and two-time defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs visiting the Steelers this coming Christmas on Wednesday. It is also possible that Pittsburgh will welcome the Chiefs with quarterback Justin Fields inactive.
Fields is reportedly dealing with an upper-body issue, which has caused him to miss practices last week and be ruled out for last Saturday’s meeting with the Baltimore Ravens. It’s the same injury that puts his availability for the Chiefs game in question.
“For the #Steelers estimated injury report, QB Justin Fields (abdominal) was a DNP, while WR George Pickens (hamstring) was limited,” Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
The Steelers QB room amid Justin Fields’ uncertain status for Week 17
The Steelers, who lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, 27-13, and to the Ravens, 24-17, in Week 15 and Week 16, respectively, are still expected to roll with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson as the team’s starter under center.
If Fields gets ultimately ruled out for a second game in a row, that could mean Kyle Allen’s elevation as Pittsburgh’s chief backup quarterback for the showdown versus Kansas City. An absence this Wednesday by Fields would mean his next chance to play will be in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
It would be ideal for the Steelers to have a healthy Fields in Week 16, but in any case, the pressure on Wilson to deliver in such an important game is high. The Steelers are still atop the AFC North division despite an identical 10-5 record with the Ravens, as Pittsburgh owns the tiebreaker over Baltimore based on a better record in conference games. Over the last two Pittsburgh games, Wilson has passed for 345 yards and three touchdowns with an interception on a 65.45 percent completion rate.
Fields was the Steelers’ QB1 in all of their first six games in the 2024 NFL season before Wilson, who dealt with a calf issue, got the go signal to assume the starting role. Over that stretch, the Steelers went 4-2, with Fields passing for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns against an interception while also rushing for 231 yards and five scores on 55 carries.
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