Steelers WR Metcalf shouldn’t miss Dolphins game, Tomlin says
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Brooke PryorDec 9, 2025, 01:43 PM ET
- Brooke Pryor is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. She previously covered the Kansas City Chiefs for the Kansas City Star and the University of Oklahoma for The Oklahoman.
PITTSBURGH — Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he doesn’t anticipate wide receiver DK Metcalf‘s availability for Monday’s game against the Miami Dolphins (6-7) to be jeopardized by his hospital visit and overnight stay in Baltimore after Sunday’s win.
«He’s moving in the right direction,» Tomlin said in his weekly news conference.
«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.»
After posting a season-high 148 yards on seven receptions in the 27-22 win, Metcalf was removed from the team flight by medical personnel after reporting stomach pains. He went a local hospital, stayed in a hotel overnight and returned to Pittsburgh on Monday.
«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.»
While Metcalf appears likely to play against a Dolphins defense that’s held opponents to just 13.3 points per game in their last four wins, the status of several other key contributors is up in the air.
Three Steelers — TE Darnell Washington, OT Andrus Peat and LB Malik Harrison — are in the concussion protocol, while CB James Pierre (calf) and DL Keeanu Benton (ankle) might be limited in practice with injuries sustained during the game. Tomlin also said that safety Kyle Dugger (hand) has «a chance» to play after missing Sunday’s game. The status of first-round DT Derrick Harmon (knee), who’s missed the last two games, is also up in the air, and Tomlin said Harmon’s practice participation will dictate his availability.
With injuries piling up and an extra prep day before hosting «Monday Night Football,» Tomlin elected to give the Steelers (7-6) an off day Wednesday. The team will resume practice Thursday with a normal Wednesday schedule.
«We just deemed it appropriate to give ourselves another additional 24 hours of recovery this week, so that’s why we’ve taken the approach that we’ve taken this week,» Tomlin said. «… We’ll give guys some additional time to rest and recuperate and be able to put their hand in the pile.»
