The Steelers are now back at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, facing down a long regular season that looks a lot more promising given how things have gone leading up to it. Finishing just above .500 last year, they anticipate being able to compete with any team in the league this season with second-year QB Kenny Pickett leading the way.
They’ve done a great deal to address what they identified as their shortcomings during the offseason, which included addressing the offensive and defensive lines as well as the secondary and the inside linebacker room, which is nearly entirely different from last year. The results have been positive so far.
Even well into the regular season and beyond, there are going to be plenty of questions that need answered. When will the core rookies get to play, or even start? Is the depth sufficient where they upgraded? Can they stand toe-to-toe with the Bengals and the other top teams in the league? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout the season, as we have for many years.
Question: Will Larry Ogunjobi’s foot injury be a lingering concern?
Larry Ogunjobi hasn’t practiced fully in, oh, I don’t know, a month now? The veteran defensive lineman has been dealing with a foot injury that kept him out of much of training camp. He didn’t participate in the preseason at all. He was limited in practice each day of practice this week and is listed as questionable for the regular season opener.
Now, I don’t really have any question regarding his status for the first game of the season. I fully expect him to play. My greater concern is how he will play, how much he will play, and how consistently he will be able to play throughout the season.
You might remember that he’s not a stranger to foot injuries. He spent last offseason recovering from one. He was plagued by nagging injuries throughout the season, though not necessarily tied to his original foot injury.
While he didn’t miss much time, one could reasonably deduce that his performance suffered as a result of his ailments—and possibly from some missed practice time as well. Then again, he was also in a new system and only signed in June. He should be much more comfortable now and that could go a long way.
But we have to ask this question. We haven’t seen a healthy Larry Ogunjobi yet in Pittsburgh, one who isn’t plagued by nagging injuries. How much longer are we going to have to wait for that? It’s nothing against him personally, of course. There isn’t anybody who wants him to be fully healthy more than himself. It’s just an unfortunate situation.
Or at least could possibly be one. One hopes he’s not a regular presence on the weekly injury reports with missed or limited practice time before suiting up on Sundays. There were enough weeks like that. I’d love to see him really unhindered. Right now, I don’t know when we will.
