ESPN reports that Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith will have an MRI to determine whether he can play in the Super Bowl. Smith has been out for several months with a triceps injury.
Pittsburgh has been saving a roster spot in the hopes that Smith would be able to rejoin the team at some point this postseason. Doctors and the Steelers are hoping that the MRI provides clarity as to whether Smith can play against Green Bay.
I’d love to have Smith back, obviously, but it’s shocking how long he has been rumored to be coming back without actually doing so. I’m honestly a little tired of seeing news on this topic when there’s about a 95 percent chance that he isn’t going to play. It also isn’t really clear to me whether an Aaron Smith who has had so little time to get back into the swing of playing live NFL games would play that much better than Ziggy Hood anyway. I’m sure he wants badly to get back on the field, but I doubt very much that he’s going to be able to do it in time for the big game.