PITTSBURGH — The Steelers’ final training camp practice before they move to Heinz Field occurred on Sunday, however, that does not mean they left without any more injuries. The Steelers starting slot cornerback Antoine Brooks left early from practice on Sunday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
Mike Tomlin offered up that the injury to Brooks was nothing too serious and should not be worried about. However, one injury from yesterday’s practice seemed to be significantly more serious. In an injury that Tomlin classified as day-to-day, J.C. Hassenauer was walking around the practice field with a heavy brace around his left knee. Hassenauer did not practice in any capacity on Sunday after suffering the injury on Saturday.
If Brooks is to even miss more than a week, that could put him in jeopardy for the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 5, where Tomlin deemed him a starter. Brooks already had an interception on Ben Roethlisberger in training camp, but the injury could be a slight obstacle as he competes with Arthur Maulet for the slot role.
Hassenauer was listed as the Steelers’ starting center on their first official depth chart, but Kendrick Green was slated to be the starter against the Cowboys in the Hall of Fame game. Green returned to practice after an excused one-day absence on Saturday.
Tomlin also commented on the rehab of Zach Banner, who has still not returned to full capacity from his torn ACL. Luckily, it seems Banner is on schedule and did not have any setbacks in regard to his recovery.