Steelers CB Ahkello Witherspoon Not Looking for Redemption in Injury Return: ‘It’s Cliche’

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers welcomed back Ahkello Witherspoon to practice on Wednesday, a sign that the cornerback may finally be ready to overcome a hamstring injury that has nagged him for nearly three months.

Witherspoon first suffered the injury against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3 of the season, but was out until Week 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles. In that game, Witherspoon allowed two touchdowns and aggravated the hamstring injury, forcing him to miss most of the second half of the season.

“Yeah, I had an aggravation sometime in the bye week,” Witherspoon said. “I returned against the Eagles and felt great playing out there. But sometime when I got back from the bye week, I tweaked it again, and that was that.”

However, it has now been four weeks since Witherspoon was placed on injured reserve, and so the veteran cornerback is eligible to return. It seems as though he may have a chance to return to the team very soon given the injury was still nagging him throughout the season. However, Witherspoon is not looking to salvage anything from the season. For him, that is all cliches and he wants to help the team in any way he can right now.

“All the salvaging has been done, it’s about the mental fortitude to get to where I’m at,” Witherspoon said. “Listen, all of that stuff, it’s cliche. I’m excited to be healthy and playing football. Going out there and flying out there with my brothers means everything to me.”

After signing a two-year extension with the Steelers in the offseason, the season has not gone the way Witherspoon wishes it had. But with the Steelers aiming to push for the playoffs, it could be an opportunity for Ahkello Witherspoon is gain redemption in some sort of way late in the season. But as he has ridden a bike throughout the past six weeks on the sidelines, he has been pining for the football field once again.

“I was ecstatic when I found out I could get out there this week,” Witherspoon said. “I’m tired of riding a bike and running on the elliptical, I’m ready to get out on the field. I’m blessed to be able to do that.”

Now, his 21-day window is opened. During any time in that window, Witherspoon can practice and be activated from injured reserve to the active roster. There is no indication on if he will play against Baltimore, but it seems that Witherspoon may have a very real chance to return on Sunday night.