Steelers notes: Ola Adeniyi returns to practice, Javon Hargrave up next for contract extension?
There will apparently be no repeat of last season when it comes to Ola Adneniyi and the injured reserve list.
The second-year outside linebacker returned to Pittsburgh Steelers practice three weeks after undergoing a surgical procedure to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee. Adeniyi told reporters he felt good at practice.
Last season, Adeniyi was placed on the injured reserve list the week of the regular-season opener because of a minor hamstring injury. He was added to the active roster after the mandatory eight-week IR stint, but he appeared in only one game.
The first official injury report of the season will be released after practice Wednesday.
Outside linebacker Ola Adeniyi, one of the early stars for the Steelers in training camp, had surgery on Friday morning for an unspecified injury, according to his social media accounts.https://t.co/WFiklvKsik
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) August 16, 2019
Hargrave next for a contract?
Now that Joe Haden’s contract has been taken care of, will the Steelers move on to their next priority when it comes to their free-agents-to-be? Sean Davis, Bud Dupree and Javon Hargrave are starters on defense entering the final season of their contracts and would be eligible to negotiate an extension before the team-imposed deadline of the regular-season opener Sunday.
Hargrave perhaps is the most likely to receive an extension, but there has been no known progress on potential negotiations between him and the Steelers on a deal.
“I don’t even think about it no more,” Hargrave said Monday. “I am looking at my film and ready to try to have good start to the season and have a big year.”
Hargrave has been the Steelers’ No. 1 nose tackle since he was drafted in the third round of the 2016 draft. He’s also developed into a rotational end and nickel-defense contributor.
Did the announcement of Haden’s deal trigger any desire in Hargrave to get one done himself?
“Naw, I really ain’t thinking about it,” he said. “That’s the least of my concerns right now. But whatever happens, happens. I am just ready to go on with it and have a good year.”
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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