Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin provided a promising update on star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf ahead of the team’s crucial Week 15 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
After catching seven passes for 148 yards, Metcalf spent Sunday evening in a Baltimore hospital due to stomach pains following the Steelers’ 27-22 victory over the Ravens.
Mike Tomlin expects D.K. Metcalf to play against Dolphins
Though the issue might impact Metcalf’s availability for practice early in the week, Tomlin doesn’t see it impacting his status for the game against Miami.
"He's moving in the right direction," Tomlin said of Metcalf on Tuesday. "I don't think it's going to jeopardize his availability at all, but it certainly may jeopardize his availability at the early portions of the week from a practice standpoint. Thankfully he's fine. I'm appreciative of our medical staff and how quickly they acted and making sure that he was safe and taking care of him postgame."
Tomlin also provided some additional insight into what happened with Metcalf that led to his overnight stay in the hospital.
"He got hit in the abdomen or stomach in-game," Tomlin said. "I think they gave him some basic over-the-counter remedies in-game like Pepto or something like that. And it got probably progressively worse after the game, so I'm appreciative of our medical experts. We just exercised an abundance of caution. We didn't want to get him in the air without having a complete understanding about what he was dealing with, and they did a good job of that."
The game between the Steelers and Dolphins will have major playoff implications on the line for both teams. The Steelers currently hold a slim lead over the Ravens in the AFC North, but a loss could knock them out of pole position.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins need a win to stay alive in the playoff picture. After a 2-7 start to the season, the Dolphins have won four straight games and currently sit at 6-7. A loss to Pittsburgh would likely crush their postseason hopes for good.
Given those stakes, the game promises to be a competitive one. Luckily for the Steelers, it sounds like they'll have their top offensive weapon available.