Following their Week 7 bye, the Steelers enter their Week 8 Monday Night Football showdown vs. the Dolphins at relatively full strength.
Mason Rudolph, who missed the team's Week 6 win over the Chargers with a concussion, was a full participant during practice this week and will be 100 percent ready to start Monday at Heinz Field. Steven Nelson, who also missed the team's last game in Carson, Calif., also returned from a groin injury and is fully cleared to play.
Joining Rudolph on the offensive side of the ball is James Washington, who returns from a shoulder injury sustained in the Steelers' Week 5 loss against the Ravens. He, like Rudolph, will be a full-go for Monday night.
Vance McDonald, Joe Haden, Roosevelt Nix, T.J. Watt, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Mike Hilton also received the green light after Saturday's practice.
So who's left?
Mark Barron was limited in practice on Friday but returned as a full participant Saturday with a hamstring injury. He is officially "questionable" for Week 8.
Ulysees Gilbert III wasn't listed on the team's injury report until Saturday, when he was limited with a back injury. He, too, is "questionable."
The biggest surprise throughout the week, however, was Jaylen Samuels, who returned ahead of schedule from a knee scope earlier in October. When Samuels' procedure was announced on Oct. 8, he was expected to miss a month, but he may be ready to roll against the Dolphins. That'd mean he'd miss just one game (Chargers), a massive boon for the Steelers' struggling offense.
"I was full [Saturday], just out there trying to see how it feels, go through individual drills, do a little bit of cutting," Samuels was telling reporters Saturday at the Rooney Complex.
So is he going to play?
"I'm not sure yet," Samuels replied. "I still don't have the answer to that yet, so we'll see how I look tomorrow and then Monday. So we'll see."
Samuels is officially "questionable" on the injury report and said he's "close — real close" to 100 percent health.
"I knew my body was a fast healer, and I knew if I pushed myself hard with the recovery, I could be back sooner," Samuels said.
When he returns, he'll join James Conner and Benny Snell — who posted 75 yards on 17 carries in Samuels' absence against the Chargers — in the Steelers backfield. Couple that with the return of their fullback, Nix, and Samuels sees the running game settling in and finding its groove.
"We get us all back and healthy, that's better for the team, better for us," Samuels said. "It'll definitely be good to get us all back, with Rosie coming back as well, so we have a fullback now."
Go ahead and re-read those injury updates. This Steelers team is getting healthy, they're coming off a win and they're facing the 0-6 Dolphins. It all adds up to a rejuvenated, motivated squad. I asked Samuels about it — and he answered the question before I could even finish:
"We're all rejuvenated coming off the bye week. We're fresh," Samuels said. "Monday night against the Dolphins, it can't get any better than that. Every Monday night game is exciting, so I'm just ready to get out there, just ready to get the victory."