PITTSBURGH — Before they broke camp at St. Vincent College Friday, the Steelers made a surprise move in activating nose tackle Casey Hampton and running back Rashard Mendenhall from the physically unable to perform list.
Each veteran has been rehabilitating a torn ACL sustained in January. Mendenhall's right knee was injured in the Jan. 1 regular-season finale at Cleveland, while Hampton's left knee ligament was torn in the Jan. 8 playoff loss at Denver.
The Mendenhall move was particularly unexpected because the stress placed on the knee by lateral cuts typical of a running back usually results in a longer recovery time. It was widely expected he would begin the regular season on the PUP list. Throughout camp, both players -- as well as coach Mike Tomlin -- were vague when talking about timetables for return to practice.
Neither player will practice until Tuesday in Pittsburgh at the team facility.
Hampton is in his 12th season with the Steelers and has played in 157 career games with 146 career starts. A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Hampton was recovering from a knee injury in the off-season.
Mendenhall is in his fifth year with the Steelers after originally being the team's first-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft. Mendenhall has two 1,000-yard rushing seasons and has amassed 3,367 yards rushing in his first four years. He was recovering from a knee injury that he suffered in the 2011 regular-season finale at Cleveland.
The Steelers play their second preseason game Sunday night when they host Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m., and you can watch the game on Channel 11.
WPXI
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