The Steelers may be running low on quarterbacks, but they got an offensive lineman back at practice on Wednesday.
Guard David DeCastro, their first-round pick in April, has been cleared to return to practice. DeCastro has been out since tearing his MCL and doing other damage to his right knee in one of Pittsburgh’s preseason games. He was placed on injured reserve with the designation to return after final cuts and has been eligible to return to practice for several weeks.
Now that he has returned to practice, the team has three weeks to decide whether or not to move him back to the active roster. Until they do, DeCastro does not count against the 53-man roster so there’s no need for a corresponding move. If they don’t, he’ll revert to injured reserve for the rest of the year.
DeCastro was immediately pencilled into the starting lineup when the team selected him and he’ll likely get a chance to win back the job if he’s healthy. Ramon Foster’s done a good job at right guard, though, so DeCastro probably won’t get it just for showing up in a uniform. At the very least, having him healthy would improve the options available should there be an injury down the line up front for the Steelers.
