Steelers’ Keeanu Benton injury ‘non-issue,’ Alex Highsmith ‘more out than in’ vs. Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to have fortuitously avoided injury for one of their quickest turnarounds of the season.

During his weekly news conference Monday, coach Mike Tomlin said that any injuries suffered by players during Sunday’s victory against the Baltimore Ravens do not appear likely to carry over to when the Steelers play at the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night.

That mostly refers to defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, who suffered a lower-body injury late in Sunday’s game and did not return.

“That appears to be a non-issue from yesterday,” Tomlin said Monday. “All the guys that sustained something in game, doesn’t appear to be an issue moving forward, and so that’s exciting.”

Benton’s injury was so much of a non-issue that he was not even listed on the league-mandated injury report released Monday. Though the Steelers did not practice, the required release of the report is based off an estimation.

The only injuries listed were that to outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, defensive back Cory Trice and tight end MyCole Pruitt.

Highsmith is expected to miss a second consecutive game Thursday because of an ankle injury suffered late in the Nov. 10 win at the Washington Commanders. Pruitt likewise missed the Baltimore game, but Tomlin indicated his knee injury will not prevent him from playing in Cleveland. Trice (hamstring) has been on injured reserve for more than a month but returned to practice last week.

“He had a good week’s work,” Tomlin said, “and may be available to us (against the Browns).”

Trice was approximated to have been a full practice participant Monday, but Highsmith and Pruitt were designated as “did not practice” (albeit for Pruitt, in addition to “knee” he was given a “resting vet” notation).

Of Highsmith, Tomlin used the phraseology “more out than in” for Thursday.