WR George Pickens cleared to play against Chiefs, as 4 Steelers starters return from injury
George Pickens is one of four Pittsburgh Steelers starters who have been cleared to play on Christmas Day, marking the return of their top wide receiver after missing three games with a hamstring injury.
Pickens, strong safety DeShon Elliott, cornerback Donte Jackson and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi all were listed as full participants by the Steelers in Tuesday’s league-mandated status report, giving them the green light to play against the Kansas City Chiefs at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Acrisure Stadium.
As expected, the Steelers will be without starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and wide receiver Ben Skowronek (hip), who were both ruled out after not practicing this week. Both left Saturday’s loss at the Ravens with injuries and did not finish the game.
Backup quarterback Justin Fields (abdominal) was listed as questionable after being a limited participant in Tuesday’s walk-through. Kyle Allen is expected to serve as the backup for the second consecutive game; he didn’t play against Baltimore.
Pickens, who said Monday he was “feeling good,” is quarterback Russell Wilson’s favorite target and leads the Steelers with 55 receptions and 850 receiving yards. In three games without Pickens, they have produced two of their four lowest-scoring outputs of the season.
“Obviously, he’s been our leading wideout (and) been one of the better wideouts around the league the whole season,” Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said Monday. “That certainly helps. You want your best guys out there if they’re available. So, if he can go, it’d be nice to have him back.”
Elliott (hamstring) and Ogunjobi (groin) were both out the past two games after being injured against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 8. Jackson, who leads the team with five interceptions, missed Saturday’s game at Baltimore with a back injury.
Their return should bolster a defense that allowed Ravens running back Derrick Henry to rush for 162 yards – the most against the Steelers this season – and quarterback Lamar Jackson to pass for three touchdowns.
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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