Pittsburgh Steelers: What the heck happened this weekend?
Jul 27, 2015; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams (34) participates in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Injuries, Injuries, Injuries
I’ve already covered Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton’s injury, but there are oh, so many more! But WHY?
Well, part of the reason why the Steelers are seeing way more injuries than other teams is because they’ve been at training camp a week longer thanks to the Hall of Fame game against the Minnesota Vikings this coming Sunday.
Another part of the reason is because Tomlin has put the team through rigorous practices the past three days. Also, the heat could be playing a part.
As we all speculate what’s causing the injuries, we know that the list of players who are not 100% is long:
Mike Adams, OT, back
Cortez Allen, CB, knee
Antwon Blake, CB, sore knee
Martavis Bryant, WR, elbow infection
Senquez Golson, CB, shoulder
Bruce Gradkowski, QB, shoulder
Josh Harris, RB, shoulder
Jarvis Jones, LB, bicep contusion
Mike Mitchell, S, hamstring
Maurkice Pouncey, C, foot
Ryan Shazier, LB, back
Shamarko Thomas, S, shoulder
Ross Ventrone, S, lower leg
Markus Wheaton, WR, hamstring
DeAngelo Williams, RB, shoulder
Of course, some of these players could have minor injuries. But that’s still a long list!
Tomlin has been trying to help keep his veteran players healthy by giving them extra days off. And the defense has also been doing extra conditioning workouts to prevent injuries. But as seen from the list, it’s not looking great. (Side note: Tomlin said Pouncey is expected to return to practice on Monday.)
Since the first string team usually only plays a few downs in the Hall of Fame game, we can hope the injuries to the two’s, three’s and so-on are minor so they can show off their skills. Also, thanks to the collective bargaining agreement, padded practices are limited and players have a significant rest period between two-a-days, so hopefully that will also help prevent injuries by the time the regular season rolls around.
Next: Welcome to the Steelers, Boykin