PITTSBURGH — Steelers coach Mike Tomlin ruled outside linebacker T.J. Watt out for Sunday's game against the Patriots, but he indicated that the pectoral injury that forced Watt to miss the latter stages of the Week 1 victory in Cincinnati won't be season-ending.
"Let me say this: We're probably in a lot better place than we were after the game," Tomlin said Tuesday afternoon during his weekly news conference. "I can definitively say T.J. won't play this week, but I won't make any commitments beyond that. We're encouraged, and we'll continue to look at the situation, gain opinions and do what's appropriate, as we always do."
Watt was injured with 16 seconds remaining in regulation as he tried to get past Bengals offensive tackle La'el Collins.
The mere fact the Steelers are waiting to place Watt on injured reserve suggests he could be ready to return in less than a month. If a player is placed on IR during the season, he must miss a minimum of four games.
"We have time to make decisions such as that," Tomlin said. "IR decisions have to be made by the end of this week relative to the game. We've got time there. We're not in a hurry to gather information too quickly. We'll see how his body responds. We'll get second and third opinions, and by the end of the week, or at some point, we'll do what's appropriate."
Malik Reed and Jamir Jones, both of whom joined the team a little more than a week ago, are expected to fill in at left outside linebacker during Watt's absence. Reed played the past four seasons for the Broncos, and Jones played for the Rams last season.
"It's going to be a cast of characters to fill his role, with Malik and Jamir being the lead candidates," Tomlin said. "But when you lose a guy like him, it's not about the guys who occupy the left outside linebacker spot — it's about how we redistribute his responsibilities collectively to produce the outcome we desire. It's not realistic to think they're going to be T.J., but we expect them to be varsity."
Harris on the mend
Running back Najee Harris also exited the game late in regulation with a foot injury, but Tomlin suggested he could play against the Patriots on Sunday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium.
Harris told SiriusXM Radio on Tuesday morning he would be ready for New England, but Tomlin said he wants to see Harris practice this week before he makes a decision about his status.
"Najee is optimistic," Tomlin said. "It's good to be young, but he's going to have to practice and prove his readiness from my perspective. He's a talented guy, but he's a young guy, so I want to see some work from him. We'll take him day by day."
Harris' backup is rookie Jaylen Warren, and it's abundantly clear Tomlin has confidence in him if he has to take on a bigger workload. Warren played 23 snaps against the Bengals, most of them in overtime after Harris left the game.
"He didn't urinate down his leg. That's a great place to begin," Tomlin said. "And that's capable of happening for a young guy. But I think that's been indicative of him throughout this process. That's why he's gone from being an undrafted free agent guy to a guy who is carving a role out for himself because at no step in team development did he show circumstances were too big for him. He was competitive, and he's been competitive. And he was on Sunday. Good for him and good for us."
Center Mason Cole missed four plays against the Bengals after he injured his ankle. Tomlin said he might be limited in practice during the week, but there is hope he can play.
Conservative calls
Once the Steelers got the lead over the Bengals, offensive coordinator Matt Canada didn't attempt many long passes. Rookie receiver George Pickens, who had been one of the team's top playmakers during the preseason, had just three targets (and one catch) in 45 snaps.
Most of the passes Mitch Trubisky threw were short and safe, and Tomlin said there was a reason for that.
"With downfield throwing comes the potential of negativity and turning the ball over," he said. "We did what we thought was appropriate to win the game last week. That has no bearing on how we'll function this week."
