The three starters on the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line haven’t occupied the same practice space since organized team activities began three weeks ago.
Defensive end Stephon Tuitt, however, took a step toward rejoining Cameron Heyward and nose tackle Javon Hargrave at offseason workouts.
On the eighth day of OTAs, Tuitt did individual drills with his teammates.
“It’s always great to put the uniform on,” Tuitt said with a smile.
Tuitt was coy about his absence from the practice field, and he did not disclose an injury. His next step is doing 11-on-11 sessions, and Tuitt indicated that could happen soon.
“It’s keeping the body healthy and making sure we are going into minicamp with healthy bodies,” Tuitt said.
The mandatory three-day minicamp is June 11-13.
Although Tuitt didn’t practice until Tuesday, he had a busy month. He married his longtime girlfriend in mid-May, and he attended the Kelly Cares Foundation charity gala in New York.
Heyward welcomed back his fellow defensive end but wasn’t surprised by Tuitt’s absence.
“There was nothing to rush back from,” he said. “Having him out there only helps our group.”
