Following their annual Friday Night Lights practice, the Pittsburgh Steelers returned to Saint Vincent College on Saturday. As is usual following the team’s physical night practice, multiple veterans got the day off during practice.
QB Aaron Rodgers got a day off, Mason Rudolph taking first-team reps in his place.
WR DK Metcalf also received a day off. It was the first day off at camp for both Rodgers and Metcalf. OLB T.J. Watt and DL Cameron Heyward received their third day off at camp, while CB Darius Slay and LB Patrick Queen also received veteran rest days.
Also not practicing were WR Calvin Austin III and TE Jonnu Smith, with both likely receiving rest days. SS DeShon Elliott also got the day off.
CB Joey Porter Jr. did not practice for the second day in a row due to an undisclosed injury. Mike Tomlin called Porter day-to-day and said he shouldn’t miss too much time. Per Alex Kozora, Porter did some rehab off to the side during practice.
CB Cory Trice Jr., who suffered a hamstring injury Friday, also did not practice, which is more worrisome. Trice has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, and in a crowded cornerback room, he could be at risk of missing the 53-man roster if he continues to miss practice time.
The former seventh-round pick out of Purdue is looking to serve as a depth cornerback for the Steelers this season on the outside behind Porter, Slay and Jalen Ramsey.
OT Calvin Anderson, who didn’t finish practice on Friday night, did not practice on Saturday.
Per Mike Tomlin, the injuries to Trice and Anderson are “more than day-to-day,” per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. The good news is that all the other players who missed practice with injuries are considered day-to-day.
“Got a lot of bumps and bruises associated with this process, but also got some guys that could be working their way back. [Esezi Otomewo] could be working his way back to us very soon, tomorrow, DJ Thomas-Jones same thing, Ryan McCollum same thing, Joey Porter same thing. We got some guys with some soft-tissue injuries that could be more than a few days, like Cory Trice and Calvin Anderson,” Tomlin said via video posted to Steelers.com.
McCollum, who also didn’t practice on Friday, did not practice on Saturday. Pittsburgh’s backup center, McCollum was limited early in camp with a lower-body injury.
Otomewo did not practice for the third day in a row after suffering a knee injury Wednesday during practice, one of a trio of defensive linemen who suffered injuries on Wednesday.
Rookie CB Donte Kent, a seventh-round pick who’s vying for a spot on the roster, also did not practice on Saturday after stringing some good practices together. Kent will need to show a lot in order to crack the roster, and not being on the field will obviously hurt his chances of making the initial 53.
Thomas-Jones remained out after suffering an injury in practice last Sunday. Per Kozora, Thomas-Jones did rehab work on the far field during Saturday’s practice session. He’s looking to potentially earn a role as fullback in Pittsburgh’s offense after playing tight end at South Alabama.
OT Broderick Jones “filtered in and out of team periods” and looked solid, according to Kozora. That’s good news as he has dealt with a groin injury and had a shaky start to camp.
DL Keeanu Benton also did not practice after sitting out the second half of yesterday’s practice. Given that Benton didn’t practice in the second half of yesterday’s practice, he may be dealing with something, although it’s unknown what it is.
While the Steelers have a solid amount of depth at cornerback, an injury to Trice that will cost him time is going to impact his roster chances. Pittsburgh’s offensive line depth is thinner, particularly at tackle, with Dylan Cook and Gareth Warren other options at offensive tackle. Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted that Spencer Anderson got some work at left tackle Saturday with Calvin Anderson out.
The Steelers return to practice at Saint Vincent College tomorrow.
