A big surprise yesterday at Steelers practice as JuJu Smith-Schuster took the field for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in October. Smith-Schuster was injured in a Week Five win over Denver on October 10th. He was placed on injured reserve six days later. His return opens a 21-day window in which he can practice and the Steelers can activate him.
Coach Mike Tomlin stopped short of saying JuJu will play on Sunday.
As for the game itself, cornerback Joe Haden and defensive end Cam Heyward are both preparing for a big challenge in Patrick Maholmes and the Kansas City offense. Haden says that for the secondary, it starts with defending the Chiefs’ wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and the man he calls the best tight end in the business, Travis Kelce.
Heyward says the entire Chiefs team is dangerous, and the Steelers have yet to play their best game against KC.
Najee Harris missed practice again yesterday but Tomlin said he is scheduled on the field today. Offensive coordinator Larry Canada said his “concern is high” that he won’t have Harris available after the running back suffered an elbow injury last week. Guard Trai Turner did not practice and was added to the injury list with a bad knee. Wide receiver James Washington returned to practice from the covid list.
All of the NFL playoff games will be on WCCS, all the way to the Super Bowl. The Steelers, however, will remain on WDAD.
The action begins tomorrow afternoon with the Raiders and Bengals kicking off at 4:30 pm, followed by the Patriots against the Bills. On Sunday afternoon, it’s the Eagles at the Buccaneers and the 49ers at the Cowboys. The Steelers and the Chiefs play Sunday night, with the pregame at 6:15 – again, on WDAD. On Monday night, the Cardinals visit the Rams to round out Wild Card Weekend.
Comments