Eli Rogers could be nearing his return to the field.
After tearing his ACL in the Steelers' divisional round playoff loss to the Jaguars last season, Rogers began the 2018 campaign on the physically unable to perform list. Now, as the Steelers (7-5-1) head into their Week 15 matchup vs. the Patriots (9-4) on Sunday at Heinz Field, Rogers could become an option for offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner.
Led by Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Steelers boast a spectacular one-two punch at the wide receiver position. After those two, however, the team has failed to produce a standout third option, particularly given James Washington's slow learning curve as a rookie.
Fichtner feels Rogers could provide a boost there, as he did during the Steelers' 2016 and 2017 seasons.
"Eli is, you know, he's an established, inside-type receiver in this league," Fichtner said. "He's played a year-and-a-half, two years. He's played a lot of football. So there's a lot of experience, a lot of quickness and inside stuff that he's capable of bringing to you."
But will his return come soon? It might — and it might not. Nothing is clear just yet.
"How much, how quickly? I don't know the answer to that," Fichtner continued. "But it is nice to see him getting some balls with Ben, starting to work, see what his situation might end up being."