Saturday update: Cornerback Jalen Ramsey has been upgraded from questionable and is expected to play Sunday against Cleveland.
Friday report:
The Steelers have completed preparation for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium and will be without wide receiver Calvin Austin III, who missed practice all week and has been ruled out.
There was some good news, however. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who missed practice the past two days with a hamstring injury, returned to practice Friday as a full participant and is questionable for Sunday.
“We’ll see,” Ramsey said when asked if he would play.
Coach Mike Tomlin said earlier in the week that Ramsey and Austin were both aggressive in their recoveries, and that may be paying off.
“I don’t want to miss any game time,” Ramsey said. “I love the game. I love playing for my teammates. So any chance I get to help, I’ll take it.”
Ramsey said the final decision on whether or not he plays Sunday isn’t necessarily in his hands.
“They’re the bosses, they’re the authority,” Ramsey said. “I have to listen to them, just as much as they are open to hearing what I feel and listening to what I have to say.
“So we had a good conversation, a good dialogue about how things are progressing, I would say.”
Whether or not Ramsey plays on Sunday and how much playing time he sees, there is one thing the Steelers have in their favor.
The secondary has depth and the guys have stepped up.
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. returns to the field this week after missing the last three games. Porter is expected to be available Sunday.
“The biggest thing that happens is getting up to game speed and getting into a game and guys are really moving at a fast pace,” Austin said of Porter’s adjustment to missing time. “It’s always been that way. It always takes guys a series or two to go, ‘Uh-oh, here we go.’ Sometimes you practice hard, but it’s not the same as a game.
“Sometimes you see guys, it might take them a series or two to get back in the game and go.
“If he’s ready to go and we feel like he’s ready to go, we’ll be fine. It might take him a series or two to kind of slow down the speed of the game, and he’ll be ready.”
Strong safety DeShon Elliott returned in Week 4 against the Vikings after missing two games, and his presence is felt, including in communication.
“I think it’s important when you have a guy that’s here,” Austin said. “DeShon will tell you, his first few weeks here last year, he wasn’t as comfortable in terms of communication. As the season went on, he got better. He’s good now.
“It helps everyone. I think when you have someone there who’s been involved in the fires in that environment with us, they feel a lot more confident in terms of communicating and executing that communication. There’s no question, something like that.
“It was good to have him back. I’m glad he’s on the pitch because I think he’s making an impact for us.”
Among those moving up in the secondary is safety Juan Thornhill, who hasn’t missed a beat after signing with the Steelers this offseason after spending the last two seasons with the Browns.
“Juan did a good job,” Austin said. “Sharp, smart player. Really, in terms of what we have in our safety position, he’s really our shooting range safety, the guy that gives us really good reach in the back in terms of distance and ball skills, the ability to go after a ball. It’s been good.
“I’m sure this game means a lot. For me, I don’t ask that of our guys, because I want every game to mean a lot, no matter what, because every game means something. We only have 17 opportunities, and every week is a little precious. You don’t want to waste one. We try to treat everything like, ‘Hey, this is a big game for all of us, all the time.’ “We have to approach it as such.”
The full injury and condition report can be found below.
