Getty Images Pittsburgh Steelers helmet.
On Monday Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin provided his latest injury update and the team’s injury list got a little longer.
“There were some new injury things,” Tomlin said. “Chris Wormley has a shoulder, Wendell Smallwood has a shoulder. We’ll monitor those guys and hopefully they’ll get back to us sooner rather than later. Chuks Okorafor has a groin that can be described as day-to-day. During practice, Derwin Gray had a knee–don’t know the status of that, but I think he was able to finish; Anthony Johnson, knee, same thing; Bud Dupree (hand) but he was able to finish.”
In addition, wide receiver Diontae Johnson (calf), safety Terrell Edmunds, and center Maurkice Pouncey (excused) also missed Monday afternoon’s practice.
5 Players Invited To Work Out
According to NFL Insider Albert Breer the Steelers had five players in for workouts on Monday. Those players are: Kyahva Tezino, a linebacker from San Diego State; Jayrone Elliott, a linebacker from Toledo; Andrew Dickenson, a guard from the University of Findlay; and a pair of long-snappers, Liam McCollough of Ohio State and Rex Sunahara of West Virginia.
Today’s tryout list.
The two long-snappers are most notable, perhaps. While LS Kam Canaday was able to return to practice today in the wake of injuring a knee on Saturday night–one of four players injured during Saturday’s practice–it’s prudent for the Steelers to look at other options in case Canaday’s knee turns into an ongoing problem.
LB Jayrone Elliott
Jayrone Elliott is a name that ought to be familiar to many Pittsburgh fans as he appeared in five games with the Steelers last season while also spending time with the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles. In 2017 he appeared in one game for the Dallas Cowboys after being acquired from the Green Bay Packers for a seventh-round draft pick.
Elliott played for the Packers between 2014 and 2016, appearing in a total of 38 games. During the course of his NFL career he has 62 total tackles, including seven tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits. He also has one interception, two passes defensed, one forced fumble, one recovered fumble and four sacks.
LB Kyahva Tezino
Kyahva Tezino signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in April, and was claimed by the Carolina Panthers when the Patriots cut him in July. Tezino playes in 48 games at SDSU, recording 290 tackles, 15.5 sacks, two interceptions, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles. He earned back-to-back first-team All-Mountain West honors in both 2018 and 2019. He was cut by the Panthers after just a few weeks with the team.
As for the long-snappers, McCullough graduated from Ohio State last spring with a degree in finance. In April he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent, but was waived by the Raiders earlier this month.
Sunahara was not selected in the 2020 NFL Draft out of West Virginia but signed with the Miami Dolphins at the beginning of August after Miami’s rookie long-snapper, a sixth-round pick, was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. However, Sunahara was with the Dolphins for less than a week before he was waived.
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Steelers Work Out 5 Players As Injuries Mount