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Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH — Quarterback Kenny Pickett sustained an ankle injury midway through the second quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ game against the Arizona Cardinals and will not return. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky took over in his absence.
Pickett sustained the injury when he kept the ball on third down near the Steelers’ goal line and scrambled forward, diving for the end zone. Cardinals defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter dove to tackle Pickett from behind, pinning the quarterback’s left ankle as he came down. Pickett also entered the game with right ankle discomfort sustained in the win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pickett tried to get up after Ledbetter’s hit but dropped back to the ground, and athletic trainers ran out to care for him. He eventually walked off the field mostly under his own power with a limp.
After being evaluated in the blue sideline medical tent, Pickett went back to the locker room for the rest of the second quarter, and he was ruled out before play resumed following a severe weather delay during halftime.
Trubisky came on for a fourth-and-goal play from the 1 immediately after Pickett’s injury. The Steelers failed to punch it in when running back Najee Harris was stopped short of the goal line. The Cardinals then went on a 99-yard scoring drive to take a 10-3 lead into halftime.
Pickett has exited two other games early with injuries this season. Pickett sustained a bone bruise late in the third quarter of the Steelers’ Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans and a ribs injury just before halftime of the Week 8 loss to the Jaguars. Trubisky finished each of those games for the Steelers. In those two appearances, Trubisky went 18-of-32 for 156 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
The Steelers also ruled out inside linebacker Elandon Roberts (groin) and left guard Isaac Seumalo (shoulder) for the remainder of the game. Seumalo hasn’t missed a snap this season, while Roberts was the team’s last remaining healthy free agency addition at inside linebacker. His role expanded in the past month with season-ending injuries to Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander.
The Steelers have a short turnaround this week, with a Thursday night game against the Patriots on the horizon.
The Steelers added former Falcons linebacker Mykal Walker and Panthers inside linebacker Blake Martinez to fill the void, but Martinez has been inactive for each of the two games he has been on the 53-man roster. The Steelers also recently signed Myles Jack to the practice squad, ending his brief retirement.