Steelers Get Key Special Teamer Back to Practice

The Pittsburgh Steelers returned inside linebacker Tyler Matakevich to practice on Thursday, opening his 21-day window to practice while remaining on the injured reserve list, the team announced on Thursday.

Matakevich has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in the Steelers’ Week 2 win over the Denver Broncos.

He will remain on the injured reserve for now. If after the 21-day window, the Steelers do not elevate him from the IR, he will be forced to remain there for the rest of the season or take an injury settlement.

In two games, Matakevich played exclusively on special teams, earning 72% of the team’s third-phases snaps in the first two weeks of the season. He recorded two tackles.

Matakevich, 31, has played 131 games in his eight-year career, but made just one career start, making most of career as a special teams ace. He has 47 career defensive tackles, including 31 solo stops, four passes defensed and one interception.

Matakevich was the Steelers’ seventh-round selection out of Temple in the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent his first four seasons in Pittsburgh before playing the last four with the Buffalo Bills, re-signing with the Steelers this summer.

He has recorded 66 special teams tackles in his career. In 2019, Matakevich was the NFL co-leader in special teams tackles with 16, which was a career-high for him, with 14 of them solo stops.

The Steelers have been dressing just four inside linebackers with Matakevich out: starters Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts, rookie Payton Wilson and fellow special teamer Mark Robinson. It’s not immediately clear who could lose playing time when Matakevich returns, but likely Robinson or fifth tight end Rodney Williams II.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS INJURY REPORT