Report: Steelers' James Washington Out Several Weeks with Shoulder Injury

Pittsburgh Steelers second-year wide receiver James Washington is reportedly expected to miss "a few weeks" with a shoulder injury he suffered during Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

When head coach Mike Tomlin spoke with reporters following the game, he said Washington was considered questionable heading into Week 6.

Before hurting his shoulder against the Ravens, Washington had a season-high three catches for 52 yards. Overall this season, the 23-year-old has nine grabs for 140 yards and no touchdowns. As a rookie last year, Washington recorded 217 yards and one touchdown on 16 receptions across 14 games. 

He has continued to struggle to find his place as a pro after he earned the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2017 at Oklahoma State, where he was teammates with current Steelers cohort and quarterback Mason Rudolph.

Pittsburgh's offense was derailed when starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger injured his elbow in Week 2, which ruled him out for the remainder of the season. Rudolph then suffered a concussion against Baltimore, which could keep him out for Week 6 and beyond.

If Rudolph can't play Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, undrafted rookie Devlin Hodges will get the start.

With Washington's availability in question, wideouts Diontae Johnson and Ryan Switzer, tight end Vance McDonald and running back James Conner could see increased targets behind JuJu Smith-Schuster.

For fantasy purposes, Johnson may be worth a look on the waiver wire, as the rookie third-round pick is second on the team among wideouts with 18 receptions for 198 yards and tied for the team lead with two touchdown receptions.