Mike Tomlin said there’s an “outside chance” wide receiver George Pickens could play against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, but if pressed the Pittsburgh Steelers coach admitted he would “probably say (Pickens is) out or could be characterized as doubtful.”

Tomlin said after Pickens experienced hamstring discomfort in post-practice work Thursday, he was limited in practice Friday as the Steelers “wanted to save all those bullets for Sunday.”

“But when we got to the stadium, it was evident that maybe the circumstance was a little bit more significant than we had hoped, so we made the prudent decision in terms of shutting him down and not allowing a small problem to become a bigger one,” Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

Pickens was scratched from Sunday’s 27-14 win over the Cleveland Browns, then had a postgame MRI that revealed the injury.

“It was a little bit more significant than what we imagined,” Tomlin said. “We’re just in the mindset now of getting him healthy as quickly as we possibly can.”

As for other injuries, Tomlin said several players are “in a little bit better of a position from a participation standpoint,” noting they will keep watch on defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin) and strong safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring tightness) early in the week. Tomlin also said cornerback Donte Jackson, who was sick on Sunday, is expected to be limited in practice.

Tomlin credited wide receivers Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek for providing complementary play against the Browns and said he expects Mike Williams’ inclusion to be on the incline after taking a “significant step” with three catches for 36 yards, including a 22-yarder. Asked if he feels like Williams is the right fit in the Steelers offense, Tomlin said “keep watching.”

So, it’s likely the Steelers will be without Pickens at a place where they haven’t won since 1965. The Steelers have lost their past 10 games in Philadelphia, so it’s no wonder Tomlin jokingly suggested a change in venue.

“I’m really excited about this one, this Pennsylvania state championship,” Tomlin said. “I’m excited about representing WPIAL in this. I was just joking this morning. We could play this game in Breezewood. That would be awesome.”

Philadelphia (11-2) sits atop the NFC East and is considered a Super Bowl contender. The Eagles have won nine consecutive games since a 33-16 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 29, and they are coming off a 22-16 win over Carolina. Jalen Hurts passed for 108 yards and two touchdowns, and Saquon Barkley ran for 124 yards. An MVP candidate, Barkley leads the NFL with 1,623 rushing yards and has 11 touchdowns.

“They’re a really good football team. They need no endorsement from me,” Tomlin said. “They’re the winners of nine straight. When you look at the tape, you see exactly why.”

Although this marks the first of three games in 11 days for the Steelers — who visit the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 21 and host the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day at Acrisure Stadium — Tomlin said his sole concentration is on Sunday’s game against the Eagles.

“I’m really just focused on Philadelphia. I don’t care what’s on the other side of it,” Tomlin said, adding that he doesn’t look ahead because of how injuries could change player availability week to week. “It may affect it on the other side of Philadelphia, but I have a seven-day cycle this week and so I’m not going to make the simple complex.

“We’ve got a job to do. We’ve got a finite amount of time and materials and talent and manpower, as do they. And so, with that in mind, we’re going to prepare and focus our energies on winning this game. With so many variables that could affect the preparation process on the other side of this game, the attrition component and so forth, that is fruitless and almost a waste of time to get beyond the template component. Certainly, I have a calendar and a template, but that does not have my time or attention. Only the Philadelphia Eagles do.”

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