For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the road to the playoffs now runs through a gauntlet in Detroit. It’s the kind of game where you want your roster intact. Instead, Pittsburgh is held together with tape. Still, cornerback Jalen Ramsey isn’t really interested in turning that into an excuse.

“It’s next man up. These guys here embrace it. At some places, they say it’s a drop off because somebody is injured. But here, it’s not expected to have a drop-off in how we play as a collective. It’s a sense of accountability,” Jalen Ramsey said.

That’s the right mindset, especially in a season where just about every team has dealt with injuries at some point. No one’s been spared. The problem for the Steelers is timing. Losing this many key players as the regular season winds down makes an already difficult stretch even harder.

When the Steelers took the field for their final full practice ahead of the Detroit Lions game, the injury list told the story. Four players didn’t practice at all. Four more were limited. By the time the final injury report came out, three players had already been ruled out, with one listed as doubtful and another questionable for Sunday.

The biggest question mark remains T.J. Watt. After undergoing a surgical procedure last week to repair a punctured lung, there has been no clarity on his status for the rest of the 2025 season. Watt didn’t practice on Wednesday, and there was uncertainty about whether he’d even been at the facility. He was reported to be there on Thursday, but again, no practice.

Friday brought the same result. Watt has officially been ruled out for Week 16. Cornerback James Pierre is in a similar spot. He missed Monday night’s game with a calf injury and never got back on the field this week. No practice on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, which means he’s been ruled out again.

Two more injuries came out of Monday night. Guard Isaac Seumalo left the game with a triceps injury, and linebacker Nick Herbig exited with a hamstring issue. Seumalo has been ruled out. Herbig is doubtful. Long snapper Christian Kuntz (knee) is listed as questionable. Everyone else on the report avoided a game designation.

There’s no ignoring how thin things are getting at exactly the wrong time. But there’s some good news, too.

Steelers get a positive OL update

To be fair, it could have gotten worse. Center Zach Frazier showed up unexpectedly on the injury report after missing a practice, and for a moment, it felt like another shoe dropping. A triceps issue put the second-year lineman in real danger of missing Sunday’s game.

But the news shifted in a better direction. After sitting out, Frazier was back on the field, working in a limited capacity. That was enough to calm things down. His reps suggested he’s trending toward playing against the Lions. There’s no game designation next to his name, and if nothing flares up, the expectation is he’ll be out there.

And that matters a lot. Drafted 51st overall in the second round of the 2024 draft, Frazier stepped in immediately and locked down the starting center job for the Steelers. His rookie season was strong enough to earn the Joe Greene Performance Award, and he hasn’t taken a step back since.

He’s played in all 14 games this year and has been steady across the board. Among centers who’ve played at least 80 percent of their team’s offensive snaps, Frazier ranks eighth in Pro Football Focus’ grading. According to PFF, he’s held up in both the run game and in pass protection.

The Steelers are still dealing with plenty of injuries, and there’s no hiding that. At this point, they’re leaning into the mindset Jalen Ramsey talked about earlier in the week. Next man up. But Frazier being there matters. And with the stakes where they are, getting Frazier back could make all the difference.