James Harrison Not Expected To Play In Steelers-Raiders Game

Tomlin: James Harrison, Troy Polamalu likely to play

Steelers' defensive veterans James Harrison and Troy Polamalu should return Sunday.

James Harrison suffers setback, Week 5 status in question

James Harrison had returned to practice Tuesday for the Pittsburgh Steelers after a knee injury sidelined him for the season's first three games, but he did not practice Wednesday after suffering what his his agent deems as "a setback."

After arthroscopic knee surgery on Aug. 15, Harrison missed all of the Steelers' practices until Tuesday when he participated in his first full practice since the surgery. It didn't go well: Harrison had hoped to participate in practice again Wednesday, but instead left the Steelers' training facility with the knee bothering him.

It's unclear where Harrison and the Steelers go from here. The five-time Pro Bowl linebacker was supposed to shake off the rust during the bye week, with the goal of playing Oct. 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles. His goal is still to play in that game, but it grows less likely with each day he can't practice.

On the other hand, Troy Polamalu participated in both practices after a calf injury sidelined him for the Steelers' games against the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders. He is expected to return next weekend.

James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Rashard Mendenhall Ruled Out For Week 3

The Steelers will continue to sit three key players.

James Harrison Injury: Steelers LB Likely Out Week 3 Vs. Raiders

James Harrison is still recovering from a knee injury and most likely won't play in the Pittsburgh Steelers' matchup with the Oakland Raiders this weekend.

Harrison had arthroscopic knee surgery on Aug. 15 and didn't play in any preseason games, nor has he seen the field in either of the Steelers' first two regular season games. Its unclear when the five-time Pro Bowler and the 2008 NFL Defensive MVP will be ready to play. Chris Carter started in Harrison's spot in the first two games of the season, but Jason Worilds is likely to play the majority of snaps as his wrist injury is improving.

Safety Troy Polamalu is also expected to miss his second consecutive game with a calf injury.

On the plus side for Pittsburgh, the injuries are well-timed, if there can be such a thing: neither seemed necessary last week against the New York Jets, who only managed ten points, this week's matchup is against the Oakland Raiders, against whom they are expected to win even without the defensive pair, and they have a bye week next week to give both players time to mend their injuries.

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James Harrison Injury Update: Steelers LB Will Play Vs. Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison is returning to the field in the team's home opener against the New York Jets on Sunday after missing the entire preseason and first game of the regular season against the Denver Broncos with a knee injury.

The four-time Pro Bowl linebacker told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday that he would be back in action against the Jets, giving the Steelers an extra boost as they take on a Jets offense that put up 48 points against the Buffalo Bills in their season opener.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin alluded to the possibility of Harrison playing against the Jets this weekend. Before last week's game against the Broncos, Harrison called himself a game-time decision but was not able to go.

Pittsburgh lost its rematch of the playoff matchup last season in which the Broncos won in overtime, but the Steelers still get a look at Tim Tebow facing the Jets this weekend.

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James Harrison Out For Steelers-Broncos, According To Report

Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison will not play on Sunday night in the team's Week 1 matchup against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, and he will be replaced in the lineup by LB Chris Carter, according to a report from Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Harrison underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on his left knee back on Aug. 15 and he has been working hard to prepare for the regular season opener, but some recent setbacks seem to have derailed his hopes of an immediate return. Harrison missed practice for the second consecutive day on Friday and apparently he will not play in the opener -- the team has not officially listed Harrison's status for the game as of Friday afternoon.

Peyton Manning and the new-look Broncos offense will no doubt be relieved to miss out on Harrison in the prime time matchup on Sunday night. The two teams will kick off the 2012 NFL season at 8:20 p.m. ET at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver.

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James Harrison Takes Step Back, Misses Steelers Practice

Linebacker James Harrison has been racing to be ready for the Pittsburgh Steelers' season opener this weekend, and as of Wednesday, things looked good, with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin sounding cautiously optimistic on Harrison's status following Wednesday's practice:

He’s working and we’ll see how his body responds to the work that the week provides. More than anything, how is he the next morning? We just got off the practice field here on a Wednesday. He performed relatively well. We’ll see what he looks like in the morning and kind of proceed from there.

Thursday, however, was a different story, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Another setback for #Steelers LB James Harrison. He didn't practice today.

— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) September 6, 2012

Where this leaves Harrison and the Steelers for Sunday is still in doubt, but Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos will be a tough task regardless. The two teams will kick off the 2012 NFL season at 8:20 p.m. EDT on Sunday evening at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver.

For more on the Steelers, be sure to check-in with Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburghfor the latest on the team.

James Harrison Activated From Steelers PUP List

Pittsburgh Steelers LB James Harrison has been activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list, making him available to play in the Steelers' season opener on Sept. 9 against the Denver Broncos.

Harrison underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Aug. 15 after having problems with his left knee and has not seen the practice field since Organized Team Activities began. The 2008 Defensive Player of the Year is feeling better now and has classified himself as day-to-day. Harrison has said he will be ready for the season opener, but his status for that game is still in question.

The Steelers also removed Harrison's backup, Jason Worilds, from the PUP list on Tuesday. Worilds has been inactive since undergoing wrist surgery in the offseason. Both players must sit out at least three days before returning to practice and Chris Carter will continue to take reps in their place.

For more news on the Steelers; check out Behind the Steel Curtain and SB Nation Pittsburgh.

James Harrison Says He'll Be Ready For Steelers Season Opener

Questions have been raised about the fitness of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison to play in his team's season opener, Sept. 9, against the Denver Broncos. But according to the horses' mouth, he'll be ready.

Harrison, who underwent arthroscopic surgery knee surgery last week and hasn't seen the practice field during training camp, says he just needs a few days of practice to be set to play. However, it's still unclear when the five-time Pro Bowler will be able to return to the field after suffering the setback a week ago.

If the 34-year-old cannot go in the season opener, it does leave a big hole to fill for the Steelers defense, which will look for Chris Carter to fill the void.

For more on the Steelers, visit Behind The Steel Curtain and SB Nation Pittsburgh.

James Harrison Injury: Status In Question For Steelers Opener

James Harrison suffered a setback on Wednesday, needing arthroscopic surgery on his knee to remove debris that had been causing swelling since the spring. While that should help long-term, it also means that his injury could put his status in question for the Pittsburgh Steelers' regular season opener.

The Steelers haven't put a timetable on his return quite yet, as they want to see how the knee responds, but head coach Mike Tomlin did tell the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that it "shouldn't be long."

If Harrison is forced to miss the first week, it's going to cause a bigger problem than it normally would as the Steelers are scheduled to open up on the road against the Denver Broncos. The altitude worries linebacker coach Keith Butler already, but that's compounded if he's missing one of his stars atop the depth chart.

"We might just sub a little bit more," said Butler, a former linebacker who played a decade for the Seattle Seahawks. "That first game is going to be tough, it's going to be in Denver, it's going to be at Mile High. People say there's nothing to the thin air out there but that's [nonsense]; I played there for 10 years so I know what it is. Denver was in our division when I played and there's some acclimation involved, especially in the first half."

The Post-Gazette story goes on to say that the Steelers had hoped rest would cure the injury, but the team believes that Harrison may have went harder than he should have during the rehab process and actually injured his knee further.

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James Harrison Has Knee Surgery On Wednesday

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison received some good news about his injured knee Wednesday. His small surgery to reduce swelling in it "went well" a source told Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette. The news comes almost 24 hours after it was reported Harrison may need an arthroscopic procedure to clean out the knee.

As of Wednesday, Harrison was on the Steelers preseason PUP list and wasn't participating in training camp. Before the surgery, Harrison's agent said he expected his client to be on the field for his team's first regular season game, Sept. 9 against the Denver Broncos.

However, with news of a surgery the Steelers could be forced to wait longer for their pass-rushing linebacker and might be put in a situation where they could possible cut him to save about $5.6 million.

From 2007-10, Harrison, who's now 30-years-old, missed only one game.

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James Harrison May Need Knee Surgery Before Week 1

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison may need arthroscopic surgery on his knee before the regular season opens, according to Mike Bires of the Beaver County Times. Harrison is currently on the preseason PUP list because of swelling behind his knee cap. An arthroscopic procedure may be required to clean out the irritation that is causing the swelling.

Regardless of whether surgery is needed, the Steelers feel he will be ready for their season opener next month. Bires spoke with Harrison's agent, Bill Parise, who indicated the Steelers may take him off the PUP list in the next couple weeks and if things don't go smoothly in practice, they'll opt for the scope. Parise also stated Harrison is perhaps the healthiest he's been in three years, and he's confident his client will be ready for the opener, via Bires:

"He's OK. We're just trying to make sure that we have the player we want for the regular season," Parise said. "Right now, James is doing all right. He's just working through the process. If you see him, he's probably as fit as he's ever been. He looks great. His attitude is great. Right now, it's just a matter of him getting that knee better.

At this time, James is looking to play in the opener. We all think James will play in the opener."

The Steelers being their season on the road in primetime, facing Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos Sept. 9, on Sunday Night Football.

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