Rashard Mendenhall Injury: Updates on Steelers' Week 6 Status and Fantasy Value

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall didn't play in the team's Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans due to a nagging hamstring injury. His playing status for next weekend's clash against the Jacksonville Jaguars is uncertain.

Keep checking back to this page throughout the week for the latest news on his playing status and fantasy football value for Week 6.

Sunday, Oct. 16 at 12:21 p.m. EDT by Brandon Galvin

As expected, Rashard Mendenhall (hamstring) is active and starting against Jacksonville, according to Rotoworld'sStaff.

Friday, Oct. 14 at 3:13 p.m. EDT - Brandon Galvin

Steelers fans and Rashard Mendenhall's fantasy owners must temper their expectations for the veteran workhorse factor back. Mendenhall is expected to return to the starting lineup this week against Jacksonville after missing the Week 5 clash with the Titans due to a hamstring injury. Still, the Steelers are looking to play it safe, according to Rotoworld's Staff per Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

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"Although OC Bruce Arians insists his backfield is 'back to normal,' he's leery of giving Rashard Mendenhall too many carries against the Jags this week.

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"'We don't want to get him reinjured,' said Arians, 'so it won't be an overload situation.' Arians once again expressed confidence in Isaac Redman, who could see 8-10 touches to keep Mendenhall fresh. We'd still use Mendenhall as a top 15-20 option this week.""

Thursday, Oct. 13 at 11:44 p.m. EDT - Adam Wells

The news is starting to get better for Mendenhall. While head coach Mike Tomlin has not said anything official, the running back is expected to be in the starting lineup when the team takes the field against Jacksonville, according to Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

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Rashard Mendenhall practiced Wednesday, and he is expected to return to the starting lineup at 1 p.m. Sunday when the Steelers host the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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His struggles and coach Mike Tomlin's vague answer when asked Tuesday about Mendenhall's role has raised questions about how the Steelers will distribute carries between Mendenhall and the emerging Isaac Redman.

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While his presence in the lineup will give the Steelers more depth, he has to figure out a way to improve upon his 3.0 yards per carry if he wants to keep his starting job. 

Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 4:30 p.m. EDT -- Tim Daniels

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was noncommittal during his press briefing today as to whether or not Mendenhall would start Sunday. That's not what his fantasy owners wanted to hear, but it's not surprising after a strong outing by Jonathan Dwyer (via ESPN).

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Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Rashard Mendenhall will return to practice this week but he declined to answer whether the running back will start Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"We expect him to participate this week," Tomlin said at Tuesday's news conference, "and we will see where that participation leads us."

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This situation will get very interesting leading up to a 1 p.m. EDT kickoff, so keep checking back for the latest information.

Wednesday, Oct 12 at 2:10 p.m. EDT -- Tim Daniels

Pittsburgh Associated Press writer Will Graves passed along some encouraging news about Mendenhall's playing status for Sunday against Jacksonville. Even though he's had a slow start to the season, fantasy owners would welcome him back with open arms.

The Jaguars defense ranks eighth against opposing fantasy running backs, so Mendenhall might struggle if he does return this week. That said, getting him back out there is priority No. 1 for Pittsburgh right now.

Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 4:02 p.m. EDT

While we previously reported that Mendenhall is expected back in the lineup this week, there is still speculation as to how much he will contribute.

A report from Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Star-Tribune quotes Steelers coach Mike Tomlin as saying:

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We'll see where his participation (in practice) leads us. We'll let his level of health and participation in the work week dictate that.

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It sounds like he wants his star running back in the starting lineup, but he doesn't plan to overwork him in his first game back.

Isaac Redman is likely to still see carries additional carries and his fantasy production will depend on how long the Jaguars can hang in the game.

Again, monitor him throughout the week and we'll update his status when more is known.

- Wes O'Donnell

Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 2:23 p.m. EDT

After missing the Steelers' Week 5 trouncing of the Tennessee Titans as the emergency running back, Rashard Mendenhall is expected to be back in the lineup this week.

The hamstring injury he sustained against the Houston Texans appears to no longer be an issue.

According to Steelers' beat writer Mike Bires:

He was technically back last week, but the Steelers were wise not to push the issue. Hamstring injuries tend to become nagging issues if not handled properly.

This week the Steelers host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Led by rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville hasn't mounted much offense and will likely fall behind early meaning Mendenhall should see some carries until the game gets out of hand.

Monitor his work in practice this week, but he's a likely play in fantasy. We'll update his status throughout the week.

- Wes O'Donnell

Monday, Oct. 10 at 2:20 p.m. EDT

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette responded to a fan's question on Twitter about Mendenhall's role when healthy and it painted the picture most Steeler fans would expect. Jonathan Dwyer actually outplayed Isaac Redman in relief of Mendenhall, but the latter remains the go-to guy.

The more pressing issue for fantasy owners is whether or not Pittsburgh will lessen Mendenhall's workload moving forward considering his heavy usage over the past two seasons.