Steelers News
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle is trending toward missing Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Nick Farabaugh. Dowdle has not practiced this week because of a toe injury.
Dowdle got hurt in the second quarter of last Sunday’s 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots. He went to the medical tent and was carted to the locker room, then briefly returned before exiting again. He finished with seven carries for 22 yards and two catches for 22 yards. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Dowdle “checked out relatively OK” in testing and was considered day-to-day.
The outlook worsened as the week went on. Dowdle did not practice Wednesday and was seen wearing a walking boot. He also did not practice Thursday, though he had shed the boot by then. He was not seen during the open portion of Friday’s practice. The Steelers had not released his final Week 3 designation at the time of this report.
Jaylen Warren has been limited in practice this week with a shoulder injury but has practiced each day. Before Dowdle’s injury, the Steelers split the backfield work evenly between the two backs. If Dowdle sits Sunday, Warren would be in line for more of the workload.
Through two games, Dowdle has 15 carries for 37 yards and four catches for 28 yards, including his Week 2 total before leaving early. He had eight carries for 15 yards in the season opener. Dowdle signed with Pittsburgh as a free agent from Carolina on a two-year, $12.25 million contract.
Pittsburgh is 1-1 after beating the Atlanta Falcons 20-13 in Week 1 and losing to New England 20-3 in Week 2. Cincinnati is 2-0 following wins over Tampa Bay and Houston. The Bengals visit Pittsburgh for the AFC North matchup.
Dowdle has no official practice designation reported yet, and his availability remains unresolved. The Steelers are expected to release their full Friday injury report before Sunday, which should clarify his status along with Warren’s.
