Steelers’ Kenny Pickett leaves loss with ankle injury،
PITTSBURGH – Quarterback Kenny Pickett injured his ankle midway through the second quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 24-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals and did not return.
Quarterback Mitch Trubisky took over in his absence and finished the game 11 of 17 for 117 yards and a touchdown. He also lost a fumble.
Pickett was injured when he kept the ball on third down near the Steelers' goal line and rushed forward, diving toward the end zone. Cardinals defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter dove to attack Pickett from behind.
Pickett tried to get up after Ledbetter's hit but fell back to the ground and athletic trainers ran to take care of him. He eventually left the field mostly under his own power, limping.
After being evaluated in the blue medical tent, Pickett returned to the locker room for the remainder of the second quarter, and was ruled out before play resumed following a weather delay during halftime.
Pickett then returned to the sideline with a walking boot to the right ankle. He entered the game with right ankle discomfort suffered in the win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Trubisky entered the game for a fourth-and-goal play from the 1 immediately after Pickett's injury. The Steelers came up short when running back Najee Harris was stopped short of the goal line. The Cardinals then went on a 99-yard drive to take a 10-3 halftime lead.
Pickett left two other games early due to injuries this season. Pickett suffered a bone bruise late in the third quarter of the Steelers' Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans and a rib injury just before halftime of the Week 8 loss to the Jaguars. Trubisky finished each of those games for the Steelers. In those two appearances, Trubisky went 18 of 32 for 156 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
The Steelers also ruled out inside linebacker Elandon Roberts (groin) and left guard Isaac Seumalo (shoulder) for the remainder of the game. Seumalo hasn't missed a beat this season, while Roberts was the team's latest healthy addition in free agency at inside linebacker. His role has expanded over the past month with season-ending injuries to Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander.
The Steelers are experiencing a brief turnaround this week, with a Thursday night game against the Patriots on the horizon.
The Steelers added former Falcons linebacker Mykal Walker and Panthers inside linebacker Blake Martinez to fill the void, but Martinez was inactive for each of the two games he appeared on the 53-man roster. The Steelers also recently signed Myles Jack to the practice squad, ending his brief retirement.
