The Steelers received three pieces of positive injury news on Thursday. Najee Harris and Isaac Seumalo returned to practice, but the bigger news might be that safety Trenton Thompson was elevated to a full participant. Thompson missed last week’s game with a neck injury, and his return would give the team a key boost on the back end of the defense.
Mike Tomlin stated that Thompson was expected to be limited early in the week, and the team would see where his participation leads them from there. It seems like that is leading to a likely return to the lineup.
The Steelers were down their top four safeties against the Cincinnati Bengals, but emphatically, Patrick Peterson and Eric Rowe stuck out in a big way. The team got interceptions from both of them and though both had some flaws, for a makeshift group, the veterans shined.
“Can’t say enough about the contributions of guys like Pat Peterson, Eric Rowe, and Myles Jack,” head coach Mike Tomlin said. “We talked last week about, specifically about Rowe and Jack, about how significant their presence was. We didn’t have them on developing on the practice squad as players, we had them on the practice squad as capable players. Guys that we can call upon and give up varsity-like work, effort, and their play reflected that. We got sack from Jack, we got an interception from Rowe, and Pat in his first game full time as a safety. I’m just really appreciative of the group’s efforts and versatility.”
As for Harris and Seumalo, both have played through their injuries before, and have still played at a high level to give the team quality play. The bad news is that Minkah Fitzpatrick and Elandon Roberts seem unlikely to play after missing the first two days of practice for the week.
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