Three days in advance of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2020 playoff opener, their receiving leader did not practice because of injury.

JuJu Smith-Schuster sat out Thursday’s session because of a knee injury. Although it is not known with certainty if the ailment is an aggravation of an existing condition, Smith-Schuster regularly missed practice days this season because of a knee injury but never missed a game.

Smith-Schuster had a team-high 97 catches and was tied for the team lead with nine receiving touchdowns.

Upgraded to a full practice participant Thursday were kicker Chris Boswell (groin), cornerback Steven Nelson (knee), defensive lineman Tyson Alualu (ankle) and linebacker Vince Williams (quadriceps). Neither Williams nor Alualu practiced at all Wednesday, and Boswell and Nelson were merely limited.

Boswell missed the final two games of the regular season. Fill-in Matthew Wright remains on the practice squad.

Safety Terrell Edmunds also missed this past Sunday’s regular-season finale at the Cleveland Browns. He had a shoulder injury that so far this week has not prevented him from participating in practice, indicating he will be cleared to play in Sunday night’s scheduled wild-card playoff game against the Browns.

Another absence from Thursday’s practice was reserve defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs. The league-mandated practice report listed the reason for Buggs’ absence as “illness.” If Buggs had tested positive for conronavirus, NFL rules dictate he would have been placed on the reserve/covid -19list.

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