David Johnson returns to Pittsburgh Steelers practice after ACL injury

Earlier on Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers activated tight end David Johnson and practiced with the team after recovering from an ACL injury that’s kept him off the team for over a year.

Scott Brown of ESPN reports that Johnson could play as early as Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. One of the things that helped was a “scope procedure” when the Steelers began training camp.

"“Things started really progressing after that,” Johnson said of the surgery. “I’m just glad I was able to get out there and make it through one practice. It’s been a long road.”"

As pointed out before, Johnson’s return comes at a good time as two other tight ends, Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth, are still recovering from injuries.

Johnson’s ability to play throughout the preseason will be heavily monitored, and his status could be day-to-day as he transitions back onto the field.

"“We’ll see how his body responds to the work that he did today,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “It’s a process and there’s really no script for it.”"