As of this week, Pittsburgh Steelers tackle Mike Adams is eligible to resume practicing after missing the first six weeks of the season on the team’s Reserve/PUP list with a back problem. Just because he is eligible, however, doesn’t mean he will practice anytime soon. In fact, Adams said Wednesday, he’s not sure if he’ll be able to return this season.
“I just have a sense that I’m here working, trying to get better, trying to heal up, doing what the doctor says,” Adam said, according to Chris Bradford of the Beaver County Times.
Per the league: Beginning on the sixth calendar day prior to a club’s seventh regular season game (including any bye week) and continuing through the day after the conclusion of the 11th regular season weekend, clubs are permitted to begin practicing players on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform and Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness for a period not to exceed 21 days. Players may be activated during the 21-day practice period, or prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the day after the conclusion of the 21-day period, provided that no player may be activated to participate in a Week 6 game.
In short, Adams will have to begin practicing sometime in the next two weeks if he’s going to play at all this season.
Adams is now three months removed from the surgery on his back that took place right before the team reported to Latrobe for training camp. At that time, head coach Mike Tomlin speculated that the former second-round draft pick out of Ohio State would miss four weeks. Tomlin was asked to update Adams’s status on Tuesday during his weekly press conference.
“I hadn’t checked on the status of any of those guys that aren’t in play this week,” said Tomlin. “I hadn’t checked on him [Adams], I hadn’t checked on [Maurkice] Pouncey. I imagine at some point today I will, but like I said earlier, my priority has been the guys that have the potential to be available to us this week, so from that standpoint, I’d imagine that Mike doesn’t have the potential to be available.”
Adams is currently in the final year of his rookie contract.
