The Pittsburgh Steelers just wrapped up their second training camp practice of 2019 on Saturday and by all appearances, the team remains a very healthy group as a whole with 13 more sessions remaining. The team did have a wide receiver go down with a minor injury during Saturday’s practice, however. That player was wide receiver Johnny Holton (hamstring).
“Johnny Holton had a minor hamstring, I think of some kind,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said after Saturday’s training camp practice. “We’ll be evaluating that and I’ll probably have more of an update in terms of his status.”
Holton, who was signed by the Steelers during the offseason following his release from the Philadelphia Eagles, obviously cant’ afford to miss too much practice time during training camp. Holton, a former undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati, broke into the NFL with the Oakland Raiders in 2016. He’s been used as a vertical threat when he’s managed to see the field. In 2017, he caught only nine passes but averaged more than 24 yards per reception and found the end zone three times.
As for Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt (hamstring), Tomlin gave a quick update on him as he remains on the team’s Active/PUP list with a hamstring injury.
“Nothing else new on the guys that have been out, T.J. Watt being a significant member of that group,” Tomlin said. “We’ll continue to work to get those guys back obviously as quickly as possible. But, we’ve got a lot of time in front of us. We’re not going to be reckless in his return.”
Tomlin didn’t say who the other players were that have been out, but one of them could be rookie cornerback Alexander Myres as he hasn’t been spotted by Alex Kozora during the first two days of practices at Saint Vincent College.
The Steelers next practice will take place on Sunday and it will be their first one in pads. Tomlin said on Saturday that he is looking forward to that session.
“I know this is professional football, but this is no different than college football or high school football or little league football for that matter,” Tomlin said. “All of us that’s ever been associated with the game, there’s a certain excitement that first day in pads.”