Joey

Porter

Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday that he felt good about having both players available this week and after five full practices between them, both will be back in the fold. Porter has not played since Week 1, while Highsmith has been out since Week 2. The Steelers defense looks to be at almost full strength on Sunday against the Browns.

Porter is firmly on track to return following the Steelers’ Week 5 bye. Steelers LB Alex Highsmith’s limited participation is a positive, but one would have preferred to see him practice in full after rehabbing his injured ankle for three-plus weeks. Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey (hamstring) was sidelined today.

It didn’t seem like Warren had much of an injury and he apparently showed well in Monday’s (non-injury report required) practice. Tomlin also said that Joey Porter Jr. (hamstring) and Alex Highsmith (ankle) were likely to be back this week. Warren will slide right back into an RB2/FLEX role on most fantasy rosters.

Porter Jr. returned to practice this week and was listed as questionable on Friday. With a game in Ireland on tap for today, the Steelers have their bye next week. They are likely playing things safe and giving Porter Jr. one more week to recover from the hamstring issue he suffered in Week 1.

Porter Jr. suffered the hamstring issue in Week 1 and has been out ever since. He did not practice at all last week, so a limited designation is a step in the right direction. Pittsburgh’s defense has been underwhelming to start the year and injuries have been part of the issue. Getting Porter Jr. back would be a big help in turning things around against Carson Wentz and the Vikings.

He didn’t practice all week for the second-straight week and could be an IR candidate over the weekend as the Steelers set their roster. His absence should help make fantasy managers more than comfortable firing up fantasy-relevant members of the Patriots passing game.

Harmon’s return to practice could not have come at a better time. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin already said CB Joey Porter Jr. (hamstring) is “questionable at best” to play in Week 3 against the Patriots. He was unable to practice, as was S DeShon Elliott (knee). Steelers LB Alex Highsmith (ankle) is likely due for an extended absence, though he was able to avoid being placed on injured reserve.

Porter missed last week’s loss to the Seahawks while recovering from a hamstring injury and could sit out this week against the Patriots. The Steelers’ secondary has struggled to start the season, allowing the NFL’s sixth highest adjusted yards per attempt and the seventh highest accuracy rate. Porter’s absence could be a boon for Drake Maye in Week 3.

Porter will miss Week 2 after failing to log a practice this week due to a hamstring injury. Pittsburgh’s secondary should be able to get along without Porter against a toothless Seahawks passing offense. The Steelers proved vulnerable against the rush in Week 1 against the Jets. That could lead the Seahawks to run the ball quite a bit against the Pittsburgh front seven.

Good news for Jaxson Smith-Njigba as Porter is easily Pittsburgh’s best cornerback. Defensive injuries on both sides have left this game feeling like it could more of a shootout than originally thought. Porter played 44 of 64 snaps in Week 1. It’s possible the Steelers have Jalen Ramsey play outside more against Seattle.