Zach Banner Talks Progressing Toward Return, Preseason Setback

The Pittsburgh Steelers right tackle is pushing to return to the field.

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers right tackle Zach Banner was supposed to walk into the 2021 season as the team's starter after signing a two-year, $9.5 million contract in the offseason. 

That plan was put on hold after one preseason game against the Detroit Lions. Banner was limited throughout training camp but took the field with the starters. He didn't play in the team's final preseason matchup the following week and was placed on Injured Reserve to start the season. 

During his media session on Thursday, Banner joked about what he could and could say, but wanted to make sure his point got across.

"I said I wanted to be back by Week 1 and I wasn't," Banner said. "It wasn't me, it wasn't coaches. It's my body."

Banner called the issue a "setback." He returned to practice last Wednesday, opening his 21-day window to be activated off IR, which he's pushing for as soon as possible. 

"I just know when I am standing there with no clothes on, not naked, you know what I meant, I am not contributing," Banner said. "At a certain point you feel like a weapon on the shelf and I feel like that and I want to get back out there."

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Banner said multiples times that he had a "good practice" on Thursday, but that isn't the issue. 

"It's not so much about having a good practice," Banner said. "We've had okay practices, good practices during camp. But it's the next day. It's how it is the next day after that and the next day after that. I have to be reliable."

He remains optimistic to be back with the group soon. From the sound of it, he's a player really pushing to be back on the active roster and with his teammates. 

He understands the mental aspect of it and training your mind to get over your injury. He mentioned the only way to get through that is "reps." But until he's ready to be a full member of this team moving forward, he's not rushing anything.

"Every single one of those 53 roster spots means something," Banner said. "It means somebody is going to do something to contribute to the team. I will not take up one of those spots until I can actually contribute to the team, or else I'm just hurting the team."

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