Steelers notes: OL Malcolm Pridgeon added, James Washington absent from practice

A day after leaving practice with an apparent knee injury and two days after his head coach refuted a national report that he’d requested a trade, James Washington was not on the Heinz Field grass during Monday’s Pittsburgh Steelers training-camp practice.

“He’s being evaluated for medical purposes,” coach Mike Tomlin said after the session. “I’ll have an update… I’m sure, maybe, (Tuesday).”

Washington was one of at least eight players who did not take part in team drills Monday, a group that included fellow receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Ray-Ray McCloud. Washington, though, was the lone member of that group who was not present at practice at all.

Running backs Benny Snell and Kalen Ballage, defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt, defensive back Antoine Brooks and outside linebacker T.J. Watt did not partake in 11-on-11 or 7-on-7 work. Snell and Watt were most active in doing work on their own on the sidelines. Tuitt did not even take part in team stretches.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did not take part in drills on a day that fit into his late-career pattern of taking every third camp practice off for rest.

Dotson still with the 2s

Kevin Dotson again was running team drills with the second-team offense. The presumptive starter at left guard was prevented from practicing the first two weeks of camp because of an undisclosed injury. Sunday, Dotson did team drills but it was with the backup group. That continued Monday for the 2020 fourth-round pick.

Starting tackles Zach Banner and Chuks Okorafor continued to play with the first-team offense; they similarly had missed most practice time through 2 ½ weeks of camp. Veteran Rashaad Coward remained the first-team left guard, with rookie Kendrick Green at center and Trai Turner at right guard.

New o-lineman

There was a new guard at practice – the signing of former Ohio State offensive lineman Malcolm Pridgeon was announced about 90 minutes before practice began.

The 6-foot-7, 310-pound Pridgeon was a two-year college starter for Big Ten championship teams in 2017-18. The quarterback of the 2018 Buckeyes was current Steelers backup Dwayne Haskins.

The Steelers waived/injured defensive lineman Calvin Taylor.

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