There had been talk earlier this off-season that Miller could be back by the first week of the regular season, but that talk has died down. Miller should be back around week 6 (the Steelers have a bye in week 5) and even that is a faster recovery than some players make after suffering a major knee injury.
Miller is very important to the Steelers passing and running game. He was the team’s MVP in 2012 and his presence in the running game will surely be missed, but having him later in the season will be worth letting him miss some time early on.
The Steelers could use Miller back as soon as possible given the rash of injuries they have had at tight end, but rushing Miller back onto the field is not the right move.
If Miller were to be rushed back onto the field in week 1 and re-aggravate his injury it would not have been worth it. However, if he returns around week 5 and is healthy and can play the rest of the season it will have been worth waiting for him to return.
Currently Miller is on the physically unable to perform list. Teams can keep players on the PUP list to start the season, which makes them ineligible to play in the first six games of the season.
After that the player can return and practice for three weeks and then the team has another three weeks to decide if they want to return them to the roster. The reason the Steelers won’t be keeping Miller on the PUP list is because he should be back before than.
The goal now is for Miller to keep working out and getting stronger. He will be taken off of the PUP list before the start of the season and once ready he will start practicing and will do so for about three weeks before returning to the playing field around week 6.
Waiting for Miller, though, isn’t all bad because when he comes back he should be close to one-hundred percent. Of course, Miller and everyone else would like to have him back sooner, but waiting is the best option if it means having him around for most of the year.
