JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It looks like the Jaguars will be without receiver Cecil Shorts again.
The team announced Monday that Shorts isn't expected to play in Sunday's game against Pittsburgh because of a strained muscle near his left hamstring, an injury he suffered during the second half of this past Sunday's 33-14 loss at San Diego.
If he is unable to play, this will be the third game he has missed because of hamstring-related issues this season.
"I know it's frustrating, and no one wants it more than Cecil," coach Gus Bradley said. "Can you imagine what he's going through? In his mind he can't catch a break. Makes a great play on the sideline, does some good things, just wants it so badly.
"Sometimes when you work hard, there's going to be disappointments, and he's got another disappointment and it hurts our team, but he'll compete."
Shorts, who has just seven catches for 60 yards in less than seven quarters this season, has battled hamstring issues since the first day of training camp. He left practice that day with what he said was tightness in his right hamstring and ended up missing the next 23 days.
He felt tightness in his left hamstring during practice three days before the season opener and missed the first two games. He made his season debut against Indianapolis and caught three passes for 35 yards and one touchdown.
Shorts has missed 13 games because of various injuries since being drafted in the fourth round in 2011, and he finished the past two seasons on injured reserve. He's had hamstring problems, two concussions, a shoulder sprain (which he played through) and a sports hernia during the regular season, and he missed parts of OTAs and minicamp this past spring with a calf injury.
The Jaguars removed receiver Ace Sanders from the suspended list Monday, but Bradley said how much or if Sanders plays Sunday will depend on his conditioning.
In addition, cornerback Dwayne Gratz is in the NFL's concussion protocol after getting hurt against the Chargers.