Steelers Without Veteran WR for Third Consecutive Week

The Pittsburgh Steelers are trending in the right direction when it comes to many of their injured players. After head coach Mike McCarthy providing an encouraging update about the list of players on the Injured Reserve, it appears that the organization might get a dose of returning players sooner rather than later.

Despite the progress, the Steelers still have to reach deep into their depth to field a full active roster, and the injuries have impacted the lineup on both sides of the ball.

One player that has gone overlooked amongst the group of injured players is wide receiver and special teams ace Ben Skowronek. The 2025 Pro Bowler has missed two consecutive games, but returned to practice in a limited capacity during the team's Week 8 preparations.

Still, he's not quite ready to return to the lineup. After the Steelers released their inactive list for Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns, Skowronek's third straight absence became official.

Steelers Missing Skowronek

One area the team needs to improve the rest of the way is across the board on special teams. The early season was a tough stretch for veteran kicker Chris Boswell, but he's settled in as the season's continued. Punter Cameron Johnston has been rock-solid as well, but the rest of the units have struggled to find consistency.

That's where the Steelers miss Skowronek the most. He made the Pro Bowl last season as a gunner on the punt team, showing just how versatile he is in those situations.

The team has found an impressive new gunner to join them in safety Robert Spears-Jennings, but they still need Skowronek's presence to bring this special teams group from concern to strength. Especially after Brandin Echols and Doneiko Slaughter were previously ruled out of the Week 8 contest with injuries, this special teams group is in desperate need of upgrades.