Najee Harris returns to practice Thursday ahead of Steelers showdown vs. Bills

Pittsburgh gets more positive news on the injury front…

The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to prepare for their Wild Card matchup against the Buffalo Bills, preparing themselves for what has the makings of the ultimate winter weather game, complete with snow, wind, and freezing temperatures to boot.

Steelers decided to take full advantage of the field at Highmark Stadium for practice this week, which adds an extra element to the preparation. HC Mike Tomlin said Wednesday that “footing” was a deciding factor in moving the practices to the stadium for the week, noting, “The stadium surfaces are more game-like surface than our practice fields,” more closely simulating the kind of environment they’ll be stepping into on Sunday afternoon.

With their second practice of the week, here’s a full breakdown of the Steelers injury report for Thursday, January 11 ahead of their wild-card matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

Steelers injury report: Thursday, Jan. 11

DNP: OLB T.J. Watt (knee)

Limited: DT Cam Heyward (rest)

Full: S Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee), RB Najee Harris (knee), LG Isaac Seumalo (shoulder), LB Elandon Roberts (pectoral)

Names listed in italics indicate a change in availability from Wednesday’s practice.

All in all, there aren’t many surprises on Thursday’s injury report. Having already been declared out for the Wild Card round by HC Mike Tomlin, OLB T.J. Watt’s continued absence at practice was no shock Thursday.

Meanwhile, on the positive front, running back Najee Harris (knee) and left guard Isaac Seumalo (shoulder) both logged a full practice session on Thursday, having both missed onWednesday with their respective injuries. The team has continued to manage reps for each of them throughout the week, without any limitations on gameday.

Elandon Roberts (pectoral) was also upgraded to full on Thursday, after being listed as limited on Wednesday’s practice report. Roberts returned just last week from a one-game absence due to the injury, playing just 39% of defensive snaps against the Ravens in Week 18, rotating through with teammates Mykal Walker, Myles Jack and Mark Robinson. His participation will likely increase in the Wild Card round, now another week out from the injury suffered back in Week 17.

Those who practiced in a limited fashion on Wednesday for the sake of rest, including cornerback Patrick Peterson and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi both returned to full participation on Thursday, while DT Cam Heyward (veteran rest) was still limited — not unexpected for a 34-year-old vet in his 13th season.

All in all, it was a day of good news for Pittsburgh on the injury front.