Steelers Injury Report: David DeCastro misses practice with illness

The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for the New York Giants, and it was business as usual at the team’s South Side UPMC Rooney Practice Facility Wednesday. Antonio Brown returned to practice after a day off, but the team was missing a familiar face in David DeCastro.

The starting right guard for the Steelers was absent from practice due to an illness. This isn’t out of the norm, and DeCastro will likely play this Sunday, but it brings a whole new set of issues for the Steelers team.

Plain and simple, you have to hope DeCastro didn’t infect teammates. It may sound silly, but if something like the flu tears through a football team, you can imagine the ramifications. DeCastro was likely told to stay home, or was sent home, in hopes of preventing such an issue down the stretch of the regular season.

Other than DeCastro, the Steelers saw Xavier Grimble and Shamarko Thomas be full participants for the second day in a row, making it likely they will be available on Sunday. Whether they get a helmet on game day is a different story.

DeAngelo Williams and Darrius Heyward-Bey both didn’t practice, making it a near certainty the team won’t have their services available in Week 13.

For the full injury report for both the Steelers and Giants, see below.

Pittsburgh

DID NOT PARTICIPATE
G David DeCastro (Illness)
WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (Foot)
RB DeAngelo Williams (Knee)

FULL PARTICIPATION
TE Xavier Grimble (Quadricep)
S Shamarko Thomas (Groin)

New York

DID NOT PARTICIPATE
S Nat Berhe (Concussion)
LB Mark Herzlich (Concussion)
DE Owa Odighizuwa (Knee)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION
C Brett Jones (Calf)
T Marhsall Newhouse (Knee)
G Justin Pugh (Knee)

FULL PARTICIPATION
WR Dwayne Harris (Wrist)