Down with Week 5, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2026 season is yet to take a leap, as they stand at 3-2. In case fans were looking for updates before moving to Week 6 to face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the latest injury report came with some good news. Rico Dowdle, who had dislocated the same toe twice during Pittsburgh’s Week 2 loss to the New England Patriots, is seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. 

At the beginning of October, Dowdle said that he had been taking the situation “day-by-day.” As it turns out, he will be on the gridiron soon. 

According to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Steelers’ official injury report, Dowdle logged a full practice session Thursday while managing a toe injury.

Dowdle took a step forward Thursday with full participation in practice after being limited Wednesday, positioning him for a potential return against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

“Feeling alright,” Dowdle said on October 6. “Getting better, taking it day-by-day. As far as getting back on the field, we’re gonna see how it go tomorrow but I’m supposed to be working in a little this week so we’ll see how I feel.”

The injury came as Dowdle had some unfinished business to take care of.

“The first time I did it, I came to the sideline, and I was like, ‘I think my toe broke,'” Dowdle said. “So I went to the tent, and it was dislocated, and they popped it back in, did the X-rays. Nothing was broken or whatever, but once they popped it back in, I felt good, so I’m like, ‘I wanna go back in the game and play.’

“Dr. [James] Bradley was like, ‘No, we’re playing on turf, think I’m gonna be done,’ because when you get it, you hurt the plate at the bottom or whatever. So I ended up talking him into going back in, and he was like, ‘If it pop out again, you’ve gotta be done,’ and it popped out again, so I had to be done.”

Initially, recovery looked complicated, as Dowdle had mentioned.

“It’s about letting the tissue heal, like the scar underneath so it don’t keeping popping out because if it keeps popping out, I’ll have to get surgery and put a pin in there. It’s just about trying to let the tissue come back together… It’s painful obviously, ’cause it’s like I got knots in the bottom of my feet.”

If Dowdle is back for the Tampa Bay face-off, his arrival will come at a crucial time.

Rico Dowdle May Have to Settle for a Supporting Role

Pittsburgh has leaned heavily on Jaylen Warren since Dowdle missed the last three games, moving away from its previous backfield split and giving Warren the workload. He has averaged 91.3% of the snaps over those three contests. That marks a significant change from Week 1, when Dowdle played 57% of the snaps, and Warren saw just 37%, with both featuring throughout the game.

So far, he has earned head coach Mike McCarthy’s trust. 

“Jaylen is our featured player right now. Let’s make sure we all recognize that. He’s hot,” McCarthy said. “It’s important for us as an offense, coaches and players alike, to continue to put him in position to make plays. That won’t change.”

Warren and Dowdle were initially expected to split the running back duties, with Warren handling roughly 55-60% of the workload. That approach was apparent in the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, where Warren had 15 touches to Dowdle’s 10. But Warren’s performances in Dowdle’s absence have changed the equation.

Warren has 490 scrimmage yards across three games, showcasing the kind of production that makes him difficult to take off the field. As a result, the Steelers are unlikely to maintain the same workload split when Dowdle returns. He should still have a role in the offense, but Warren is expected to remain the primary back.