PHILADELPHIA -- In a game where the Steelers are facing the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL, they really could have used their best player. But, it'll have to wait.
On Saturday afternoon, the Steelers did not activate T.J. Watt from injured reserve by Saturday's 4:00 p.m. deadline, meaning he won't be active Sunday in Philadelphia.
Watt has been on IR since he suffered a pectoral injury in the season opener at Cincinnati, then underwent arthroscopic knee surgery to clean up a preseason injury.
Watt returned to practice this past Wednesday, starting his 21-day window to return from IR. On Friday, he addressed the media for the first time since the injury. While he sounded optimistic about where he was in his way back from multiple injuries, he remained cryptic about how realistic a return might be this Sunday in Philadelphia.
"I don't know," Watt said when asked about his availability Sunday. "I mean, we'll have to see. ... I feel good. Today was a good day for me, this week has been a good week for me. I just want to continue going in the right direction."
The Steelers' pass rush has struggled mightily without the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. After recording seven sacks in Week 1 (only one by Watt), the Steelers have mustered only five sacks in six games without Watt.
Even at less than 100 percent or in a limited role, Watt's return to the defensive front would have provided a much needed shot in the arm for the Steelers. Now, they'll have to try and slow down Jalen Hurts and the high-powered Eagles offense with the same cast they've had for the past six weeks, but without Larry Ogunjobi, who is out with a knee injury.
With Chris Boswell out with a groin injury, Pittsburgh signed Nick Sciba to the practice squad Saturday and elevated him to the 53-man roster. Sciba went undrafted out of Wake Forest, then ended up spending the summer with the Steelers as the extra kicker in training camp.
Though he's hit only 12 of 16 field goals this season, Boswell has been a rock for the Steelers in the kicking game. Outside of what's become an outlier in 2018, Boswell has made at least 90 percent of his field goal attempts in four of the past five seasons.
This season, Boswell set the Acrisure Stadium record for longest field goal with a 59-yarder against the Jets in Week 4. He also hit the game-winning field goal in the final seconds of overtime in the Week 1 upset over the Bengals.
