Week 17 Pittsburgh Steelers Injury Report: Latest on George Pickens, Joey Porter Jr., and more for Christmas gameday

On Christmas Day, the Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Kansas City Chiefs at Acrisure Stadium during Week 17 of the NFL season. Both teams have already secured postseason positions and will compete in this Christmas matchup with just two games remaining in the regular season.

The two franchises are still vying for important spots in the AFC circle, though. Russell Wilson and the Steelers continue to battle with the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North championship, while Andy Reid's squad must win on Wednesday to secure the top spot in the AFC and a first-round bye.

We'll take a look at the Steelers' injury report below as they attempt to prevent a third straight defeat.

Steelers injury report for Christmas Day game

In preparation for their game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, the Pittsburgh Steelers have not yet held a real practice session this week. The team only published a projected practice report on Sunday before conducting a walkthrough on Monday. That said, Pittsburgh's Tuesday injury report gave optimism that a few key players would be able to play again on Wednesday.

The Steelers' walkthrough on Tuesday included full participation from defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi (groin), cornerback Donte Jackson (back), safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring) and wide receiver George Pickens (hamstring). They all appear to be on pace to make an appearance against the Chiefs now that they have been designated full practice participants.

In addition, quarterback Justin Fields was able to take part in the walkthrough in a limited capacity on Tuesday, which was his first practice since he had an abdominal injury two weeks ago against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The only players Pittsburgh listed as DNP on Tuesday were wide receiver Ben Skowronek (hip) and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee), both of whom suffered injuries against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.

George Pickens injury update

The Pittsburgh Steelers' most exciting news this week is probably that wide receiver George Pickens is expected to return to action on Christmas Day against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Pickens has been unable to play in Pittsburgh's last three matchups due to a hamstring injury. This is the first run of games he was absent from in the NFL since joining the league in 2022.

Now after logging his first full practice participation since Dec. 5, Pickens is poised to return this week.

Joey Porter Jr. injury update

The Pittsburgh Steelers experienced yet another injury blow during their game against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday as cornerback Joey Porter Jr. sustained a calf injury.

At first, the injury appeared to be insignificant, and Porter was able to play again. Soon after, it was discovered that he also had a knee issue, which made the severity of the injury much more apparent. The Steelers cornerback was unable to play due to the combined effects of both injuries.

It appears it's not likely that Porter will be available for the Steelers' Week 17 game against the Kansas City Chiefs given the timing of his injury.