The Pittsburgh Steelers were dealt a potentially big blow defensively with starting cornerback Artie Burns suffering a right knee injury in practice on Wednesday, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic.
Steelers CB Artie Burns left practice after suffering a non-contact right knee injury, confirmed to @TheAthleticPIT by both Mike Hilton and Cam Sutton. Burns wasn't in the locker room following practice. Sutton would start if Burns can't go on Sunday.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) January 10, 2018
Although it is quite a concerning situation, the ligaments in the 22-year-old's right knee are reportedly still attached following the injury. Burns has held down the starting job for his first two seasons with the team since being drafted with the 25th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Burns finished the 2016 campaign with 54 tackles, an interception, two forced fumbles, and 13 passes deflected in all 16 games played. If he's unable to play in Sunday's divisional round playoff matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, backup Cameron Sutton will draw the start at right cornerback. There should be more clarity reached on this situation by Thursday once he receives further examination from the team medical staff.
Burns and offseason acquisition Joe Haden helped form a formidable duo in the secondary that helped Pittsburgh boast one of the best defenses in the league, ranking fifth overall while holding opposing quarterbacks to an 81.8 passer rating and a measly 59.5 completion percentage.
The Steelers have a stiff divisional round matchup against the Jaguars, who handed them a loss earlier this season in a 30-9 beatdown in Week 5 in Pittsburgh. Jacksonville possesses one of the highest scoring offenses this season at 26.1 points despite ranking 17th in passing, as they hold the league's most potent rushing attack led by Leonard Fournette. In their first matchup, Fournette rushed for a ridiculous 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Quarterback Blake Bortles will have a full array of receiving options with both wide receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns expected to play on Sunday. Bortles is coming off a sub-par performance against the Buffalo Bills in the wild card round with only 87 yards on 12-of-23 completed passes. He did run for 88 yards on 10 attempts.
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