PITTSBURGH — The Steelers injury report is becoming the biggest storyline of Pittsburgh’s season, and the timing could hardly be worse. At 3-2 entering Week 6, first-year head coach Mike McCarthy’s team has a growing list of key players who are either sidelined or practicing in a limited capacity, just as the schedule turns brutal: according to USA Today, the Steelers will play four of their next five games on the road, including a transatlantic trip to Paris for the first NFL regular-season game ever played in France.

The absences are piling up on both sides of the ball. Running back Rico Dowdle; wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek; and defensive backs Jamel Dean and Jalen Ramsey have all been hurt “in some form or fashion” recently, as USA Today put it. For a franchise that has not won a playoff game since 2017, the next month could determine whether this 3-2 start has real legs — or whether another mediocre season is on the way.

Steelers injury report: wide receivers take the biggest hit

The receiver room has absorbed the heaviest blows. According to Steelers Now, McCarthy ruled Ben Skowronek out of Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay after the wide receiver suffered a calf injury late in the first half of last weekend’s 34-22 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Skowronek was treated in the sideline medical tent and did not return to the field in the second half.

Roman Wilson is out as well. The second-year receiver, dealing with a finger injury, did not practice on Wednesday and has been ruled out for Week 6, per NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk.

And Michael Pittman Jr. remains on injured reserve with a foot injury that is expected to sideline him for three more weeks, according to Steelers Now. McCarthy said earlier that the aggravated foot injury would cost Pittman multiple weeks, per Steelers Depot, and the absence cost him a shot at facing his former team, the Colts, in Week 5.

With three receivers down, the passing game figures to lean even more heavily on D.K. Metcalf to stretch the field vertically, while tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington work underneath — a formula Rodgers has leaned on during the team’s recent offensive surge.

Steelers injury report: backfield and secondary also battered

The injuries are not confined to the receiver corps. Rico Dowdle, dealing with a dislocated left toe, has missed the past two games and was only a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, per Steelers Depot. His final status for Tampa Bay is unconfirmed, but if he cannot go, Jaylen Warren would again function as Pittsburgh’s top back — Warren has handled the role well, racking up 101 rushing yards and 87 receiving yards with two total touchdowns against the Colts.

In the secondary, Jalen Ramsey (fractured right wrist) did not practice on Wednesday, though the veteran cornerback followed the same pattern in Week 5 before returning in a limited role and recording nine tackles against Indianapolis, per NBC Sports. Jamel Dean, who missed that game with an ankle injury, was limited Wednesday — and NBC Sports noted the uptick in activity could bode well for his chances of playing against his former team in Tampa.

Defensive tackle Keeanu Benton (ankle) also missed Wednesday’s practice, while safety DeShon Elliott (knee) was limited as he works toward a possible return from injured reserve, according to Steelers Wire.

The brutal road stretch: Tampa Bay, then Paris

NFL Week 6 sends Pittsburgh to Raymond James Stadium to face the 1-4 Buccaneers on Sunday, October 18 (1 p.m. ET, CBS), per Sports Illustrated. It is a roughly 1,000-mile trip against a desperate Tampa Bay team that finally got its first win of the season last Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys. The Bucs are banged up too — quarterback Baker Mayfield did not practice Wednesday because of a right thumb injury, according to Steelers Wire — but the Steelers are listed as 2.5-point road favorites via FanDuel, per SI.

From there, things get truly grueling. One week later, Pittsburgh boards a long flight to Paris to face the New Orleans Saints in the first-ever NFL regular-season game in France, kicking off at 9:30 a.m. ET on October 25 at the Stade de France. It will be only the Steelers’ second international game since 2013 — they beat the Vikings in Dublin last October, but that trip came with far kinder travel scheduling around it.

Despite concerns over ongoing protests in Paris and questions about fan and team safety, the NFL confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday that the game will go ahead as planned. “We’re excited for the first-ever regular season game in Paris, and preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France on October 25,” the league said in a statement obtained by ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, as reported by Steelers Depot.

After Paris, Pittsburgh turns around to host Cleveland the following Sunday before finally reaching its open date — a stretch that will test the roster’s depth even before the injury report stops growing. The Browns already beat the Steelers 27-24 on a Thursday night in Cleveland on October 1, a game our site previewed in the Steelers vs. Browns Thursday night preview.

What the brutal stretch means for Aaron Rodgers

If there is a stabilizing force in Pittsburgh right now, it is the 42-year-old quarterback. Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers’ starter, has thrown three touchdown passes in three consecutive games — 826 yards and nine touchdowns over that span — after a rocky opening two weeks in which he had more turnovers than scoring throws, according to Fox News. He finished with 235 passing yards and no turnovers in the win over Indianapolis.

The offense has found its footing around him: per Pewter Report, Pittsburgh averaged just over 12 points per game through the first two weeks but has put up 28.3 per game over the last three. Rodgers connected with Freiermuth for two touchdowns against the Colts and has leaned on Warren out of the backfield.

McCarthy credited the Week 5 breakthrough to a change in routine during the mini-bye, when he had the team study itself instead of jumping straight to the next opponent. “The newness of how you do things in year one, this was clearly our best week,” the head coach said after the win over Indianapolis.

The question now is whether a shorthanded roster can sustain that momentum through the most demanding travel stretch in recent franchise history. The miles are about to get very real — and the Steelers injury report will go a long way toward deciding whether 3-2 is a launchpad or a mirage.

Steelers injury report: FAQs

Which Steelers players are ruled out for Week 6 against the Buccaneers?

Wide receivers Ben Skowronek (calf) and Roman Wilson (finger) have been ruled out for Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay, per Steelers Now and NBC Sports. Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) is on injured reserve and expected to miss about three more weeks. Rico Dowdle (toe), Jamel Dean (ankle) and Jalen Ramsey (wrist) were limited or held out of Wednesday’s practice, and their statuses were not yet confirmed.

Is Aaron Rodgers injured?

No. Rodgers does not appear on the Steelers’ injury report and has started every game this season. The 42-year-old quarterback has thrown three touchdown passes in three straight games, including a 235-yard, three-score performance in the Week 5 win over Indianapolis.

When do the Steelers play in Paris?

The Steelers face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, October 25, at the Stade de France in the first-ever NFL regular-season game played in France. Kickoff is set for 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network. The NFL confirmed to ESPN on October 14 that the game will proceed as scheduled despite fan safety concerns in Paris.

When is the Steelers’ bye week?

Pittsburgh’s open date comes after the home game against Cleveland that follows the Paris trip, per USA Today — a welcome break at the end of the most grueling stretch on the team’s schedule.

Sources: USA Today, NBC Sports (ProFootballTalk), Steelers Depot. Injury statuses reflect Wednesday’s Week 6 practice report and are subject to change.