It's every team's worst nightmare. A player suffering a season-ending injury his first few minutes of offseason training. It happened to the Jaguars this year when first-round Dante Fowler tore his ACL during his first workout. The Dolphins first-round pick DeVante Parker also suffered an injury that required surgery. Broncos OT Ryan Clady tore his ACL at OTAs.
Star players can't be stars if they are injured, so the Steelers have been resting some of their key players during OTAs. Last season, the Steelers were fortunate that Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell stayed healthy throughout the season.
Everyone pause and knock on wood. If you don't have access to wood, your head will do.
Let's resume.
While a gold-star for perfect attendance is reflective of the team's cohesiveness and commitment, sitting players out to avoid injury is also a gold-star move. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote, "Health equals wins most of the time."
The Steelers are in a good position in terms of player health. Le'Veon Bell's knee is at 100%, Mike Mitchell addressed the groin injuries that limited his effectiveness last season, and Jarvis Jones is rehabilitating his wrist. On Bleacher Report's injury report, the Steelers key injuries are listed as "none."
And all the people said, "Amen."
Meanwhile, around the league, other teams are facing injuries that could limit their effectiveness in the regular season. The Falcons are dealing with a spate of major injuries, mostly involving their offensive line. The Ravens are also plagued with injuries from TE Dennis Pitta's hip to several hurt players in the secondary: Safety Terrence Brooks, CB Jimmy Smith, and CB Asa Jackson. Another division rival, the Bengals, are coping with injuries for several key players as well.
Since a healthy team is a winning team, the Steelers are wise to provide their players some rest during OTAs. Good coaching and talented players keys to success and victories, but injury prevention is a huge-- often overlooked-- factor as well.