The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2021 season is underway, and they are hoping for a better outcome in comparison to last season. After starting out 11-0, they finished the year 1-4 in the regular season, and then lost in the Wildcard Round to the Cleveland Browns, ignited by a 0-28 first quarter.
They have lost a large number of key players in the offseason, like Maurkice Pouncey, Bud Dupree, Alejandro Villanueva, David DeCastro, Mike Hilton, and Steven Nelson, but they’ve also made significant additions as the months have gone on, notably Trai Turner, Melvin Ingram, Joe Schobert, and Ahkello Witherspoon. They also added Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth, Kendrick Green, and Dan Moore Jr., all of whom are starting.
There isn’t much left to do but to play the games at this point. Even if they play them poorly. They still have a lot to figure out, though, such as what Matt Canada’s offense is going to look like in any given week, or how the new-look secondary and offensive line is going to play.
These are the sorts of questions among many others that we have been exploring on a daily basis and will continue to do so. Football has become a year-round pastime and there is always a question to be asked. There is rarely a concrete answer, but this is your venue for exploring the topics we present through all their uncertainty.
Question: Will Stephon Tuitt finally start practicing this week?
I try not to ask this question every week, yet when I don’t, I get asked why I’m not asking it, so here it goes: Will Stephon Tuitt finally start practicing this week? I ask the question this day because head coach Mike Tomlin will be giving his pre-game press conference today, when he provides injury updates on players.
That does not guarantee that he’ll actually give a direct answer to the question of whether or not Tuitt will be practicing, but he can’t conceal the truth if whether he does or does not, because once a player on the Reserve/Injured List begins practicing, the team must officially start the clock on his 21-day activation window.
The Steelers could desperately use his presence back along the defensive front to pair with Cameron Heyward in the middle of the line. And they could really use Carlos Davis getting back as well, which he should be, since he was practicing before the bye.
The team missed him through the first six games of the season as he works his way back from a knee injury that wasn’t disclosed until late in training camp. They are already down Tyson Alualu, and have been relying on Chris Wormley and Isaiah Buggs as starters, with Isaiahh Loudermilk and Henry Mondeaux their top backups, neither of whom were supposed to play this year.
