We learned on Saturday that Pittsburgh Steelers tackle Mike Adams will start training camp off on the Active PUP list with a back injury and on Sunday the former second-round draft pick talked about his current injury situation ahead of the team’s first official practice at Latrobe.
According to Chris Bradford of the Beaver County Times, Adams said Sunday that he’s hopeful of returning to action before the start of the regular season. He also revealed that his back injury happened during the OTA sessions and that it’s “frustrating.”
Mike Adams hopeful of returning before start of season. Says injury happened in OTAs and is “frustrating.” #steelers
— Chris Bradford (@BCTBradford) July 26, 2015
“The goal is not to miss any games or things like that,” said Adams. “I’m going to do everything I can to get back and work with the staff and the great doctors we have here and just try to get back so I can get back on the field.”
On Saturday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin revealed that Adams had a back procedure performed on July 20.
“It’s been something that he’s been dealing with off and on and we got it evaluated and we decided to put it behind us,” Tomlin said.
With Adams sidelined for all of training camp, tackle Alejandro Villanueva will likely serve as the team’s primary backup to starters Kelvin Beachum and Marcus Gilbert. Villanueva, who spent the entire 2014 season on the Steelers practice squad, has yet to take a snap as an offseason lineman in a preseason game. Last year, the former Army captain played on the defensive line of the Philadelphia Eagles during training camp and the preseason.
