A Steelers Depot daily segment. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers and Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete and dedicated article but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys. The same as our recent Depot Daily but now late at night to better capture the news of the day.
Your Depot After Dark for Oct. 4.
Darnell Washington Sees Steelers-Ravens As Similar To Georgia-Alabama Rivalry
Ahead of his first foray into the Steelers-Ravens rivalry at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh rookie tight end Darnell Washington is looking forward to the old-school, rough-and-tumble matchup between the two historic AFC North rivals. Speaking with reporters inside the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex’s locker room Wednesday, Washington compared it to the Georgia-Alabama rivalry matchups he was part of in college, which has his “mind right” for the Week Five tilt.
“It goes back to, easiest way to put it in my shoes, is that Georgia-Alabama game. They’ve got a great d-line, great linebackers. I already know to get my mind right and have a great week of preparation,” Washington said to reporters, according to video via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski.
Washington will quite the test on Sunday at home as the Ravens boast an elite linebacker duo in veterans Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen along with a tough defensive front in edge rushers Odefe Oweh, Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, as well as defensive linemen Justin Madubuike.
Cameron Heyward Eager To Get Back On Field
The latest episode of Cameron Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast dropped today, and Heyward gave a coy update about his timeline to return from his sports hernia surgery. Heyward said if it was up to him, he’d be back on the field already.
“If it was my choice, I’d be playing right now,” Heyward said. “We got some work to do,” he added.
He wouldn’t give a timeframe, but with a smile added “I can’t give anything yet.”
Heyward had previously said he could return earlier than the eight-week timeline that was initially given. He would be four weeks into that timeframe by now, setting up a return sometime early in November.
“There’s timetables out there but I’m not a regular person. Every injury I’ve been part of, I’ve been cleared earlier,” he said. “It’s not going to stop me from working. Timetables are for other people. I make my own.”
We’ll see how things play out, but Heyward seems confident he could return sooner rather than later. He seems to be in good spirits, and his return would obviously be a huge boost to Pittsburgh’s defense.
Steelers Practice In Pads
As promised by Mike Tomlin Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers were in full pads for today’s practice, the first of the week. The team website posts a slideshow of photos from each practice. Here, you can see Pickett drop back to pass in his full gear.
Teams are only allowed 14 padded practices throughout each regular season and according to the CBA, there can only be one week of the year where the team is in pads twice. We’ll see if the Steelers use that carve-out for tomorrow. Based on Tomlin’s Tuesday comments, they probably will.
