Steelers RB Coach Eddie Faulkner Expects Jaylen Samuels to Return at Full Speed
PITTSBURGH -- Jaylen Samuels is the only Steelers player who remains on the NFL's reserve/COVID-19 list. One of four initial members to be placed on the list, Samuels has yet to be cleared and return to training camp.
The Steelers placed the running back on the COVID list on Aug. 2 with James Washington. Washington was activated on Aug. 7.
Running back coach Eddie Faulkner was asked about Samuels' missed time during a Zoom call with media on Wednesday. The Steelers position coach said any missed time isn't ideal, but he doesn't expect this to hold Samuels back.
"Any time missed and days of work missed isn't necessarily a good thing, but if you're going to miss some time, it would be in the front end of this where it's tempo-ed down, it's walk through, it's meetings and stuff like that. I talk to him daily. First of all, my most important concern is his well being. Secondly, to make sure he's up to speed as far as meetings and what we've talked about, and plays going in that day. He's got the advantage of going into his third year, so he's done most of these things, and everything will resonate with him once he hears it. He's going to have to go out, when he does show up, hit the ground running.
"COVID has put us in that situation where guys have to show up and show out if they are put into that protocol. I would expect him to do that, and I do have confidence that when he gets here, he'll know what he's doing and be able to go play fast and react fast to what's going on."
Players are put on the list for positive COVID-19 tests or because they need to quarantine due to coming in contact with someone carrying the virus.
The Steelers are still in the ramp-up period of the NFL's training camp schedule but will begin padded practices on Monday, Aug. 17.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
