Steelers' Fitzpatrick (appendectomy) set to play

PITTSBURGH — With no injury designation on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ final injury report, Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is set to play against the Cincinnati Bengals a week after undergoing an appendectomy.

“The worry is when they cut you open, they cut through muscle, obviously to get into your stomach,” he said, also telling ESPN that doctors initially told him it could take 10 days to two weeks to recover. “So you just want to make sure that that’s healed properly before you get out there and go.”

Fitzpatrick had his appendix removed following Saturday’s team walk-through prior to the win against the New Orleans Saints. Less than a day later, he was at Acrisure Stadium to cheer on his teammates. Though he didn’t practice Wednesday, Fitzpatrick participated in team conditioning Tuesday and fully practiced Thursday and Friday.

“That’s the dog in him, man,” safety Damontae Kazee said. “I always tell Minkah, when I go home, I’ll be watching film. I gotta steal certain techniques of his that he does at practice. So I think it’s pretty cool.”

Fitzpatrick was a major factor in the Steelers’ overtime win against the Bengals in Week 1, picking off Joe Burrow on the Bengals’ second play of the game for a pick-six. He also finished with a team-high 14 tackles.