Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Headed into Week 1 of the regular season, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated that rookie running back Le’Veon Bell will be the only player ruled out when the Steelers host the Tennessee Titans. After hearing that, it seems to me that tight end Heath Miller must be coming along very well after his offseason reconstructive knee surgery.
Miller was taken off Pittsburgh’s physically unable to perform list this past Saturday, and did individual drills during practice on Monday. Though he hasn’t practiced with the team yet, there could be a remote possibility that Miller is cleared to do so this week. Whether he is able to or not, having Tomlin not mention the Pro Bowl tight end as ruled out gives the indication that Miller could be ready for action in the near future.
Seeing fellow tight end Matt Spaeth return to the gridiron as soon as Miller won’t happen; however, there is still a possibility that he’ll be available at some point during the regular season. Earlier today, the Steelers designated Spaeth to their injured reserved/designated-to-return list.
After undergoing surgery for a Lisfranc injury this preseason, some predicted that Spaeth would miss the entire season. Knowing that Spaeth could make an appearance this year gives hope to Pittsburgh’s offense and their depth at tight end.
David Johnson, David Paulson and Michael Palmer are the other tight ends that are on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster. Until either Miller or Spaeth returns to the lineup, Pittsburgh’s remaining three tight ends will have to work collectively to pick up the slack.
Clyde A. Speller is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClydeASpeller, or add him to your network on Google+
