Sean Spence Can Return To Practice Next Week If Deemed Healthy

Next week is an important one for Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Sean Spence and tight Matt Spaeth as both can begin practicing with the team if deemed healthy enough to do.

Spence, who was placed on the Reserve PUP list at the start the season, can begin playing right away per the rules of PUP, but that's not likely to happen due to all of the time that he's missed. If he is able to resume practicing next week, however, and there's guarantee yet that he will, the Steelers will likely want to slowly acclimate him back into action being as he hasn't practiced since tearing up his knee in the 2012 preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers.

The Steelers don't have to rush their 2012 third-round draft pick along if he's not ready as they will have a three week window starting next week in which he must begin practicing. However, once he does begin practicing, a new three week window will then open at the end of which he must be placed on the active roster or on injured reserve. In other words, they could string this out for several more weeks if he's not quite ready.

When head coach Mike Tomlin meets the media next Tuesday, I suspect he will be asked to update the status of both Spence and Spaeth at that time, so we should have a little more clarity then.


(steelersdepot.com)