The pony the Steelers got for Christmas is back from the vet.
Steelers right guard David DeCastro practiced Wednesday for the first time since suffering a major knee injury in a preseason game at Buffalo. Afterward, he was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return this season - a new rule entered into the league this season.
The rule states upon his return to the practice field, the team has 21 days in which to remove the designation and return him to the roster, or place him on IR for the rest of the year.
The Steelers have had one of the most active transaction weeks in recent memory, including the return of Plaxico Burress, the signing of back-up quarterback Brian Hoyer and the announcement of Charlie Batch starting his first game this season in Week 12.
The fact DeCastro is practicing could mean nothing more than it being time to see whether he'll be able to play. They are unable to use the designation on another player this season anyway. The rule says a player must be unable to practice or play football for 42 days, which doesn't appear to be the case, based on initial reports, for any of their players.
Stay tuned to see how this all plays out.