It’s not impossible for Senquez Golson to make the roster. But it’s equally unlikely you’ll see him on the field in the next few days.

In his chat for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Tuesday, Gerry Dulac was asked about Golson’s status and if he’ll return after the first preseason game. Dulac’s reply was:

“No. He had a pretty good tear of the hammy.”

Oof. That doesn’t sound promising. Dulac also went on to say he expects Golson to miss a “couple more weeks,” which, if taken at face value, puts the rest of the preseason in jeopardy. While these assertions are vague and not scientific, Dulac accurately pegged James Conner’s injury as being minor (though he still isn’t getting full work in) and Golson’s a lengthier absence.

Golson was injured on July 30th, pulling/tearing his left hamstring running down a punt. He was carted off and hasn’t returned since. While he has show signs of progress in his on-field rehab, Dulac’s assessment sounds reasonable. Soft tissue injuries can be nasty things to fully recover from.

In three years with the Steelers, he’s participated in seven practices, finishing only five of them. He went down in 2016 during the fourth practice, undergoing foot surgery a week later, and in 2017, the end of the third.

Time is now not on Golson’s side. If he were to return tomorrow, he’d still have plenty of chances to play his way onto the roster. But it sounds like at least a full week before he can get back into practice and try to jump on the moving train. All while Mike Hilton, the other Ole Miss corner, continues to impress and Brian Allen improves from where he began in camp.

With five other cornerbacks already locked up on the roster, there’s only one rose left. And we’re getting closer to Golson getting stood up at the altar. His path to make the team is proving his usefulness on special teams. Something he can only do in stadiums, meaning he’s already going to miss his first chance this Friday versus the New York Giants. There’s ten days until the second contest against the Atlanta Falcons and just over two weeks until the dress rehearsal.

If Golson is truly out “a couple more weeks,” he may only see action in the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers. That’s a limited amount of snaps to shine, especially if Hilton and Allen play like they have in Latrobe.

We’re still too far out from counting him off the roster. But the light is certainly dimming and with each milestone he misses, his chances get all the fuzzier.