Right tackle Zach Banner will be available to return from ACL surgery when the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night at Heinz Field.
Banner, who had a setback in the preseason that delayed his recovery, was activated from injured reserve Saturday. He replaces wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was placed on injured reserve three days after he underwent season-ending right shoulder surgery.
Banner hasn’t played a snap in a regular-season game in 13 months.
In the 2020 season opener at the New York Giants, Banner tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of his first NFL start at right tackle for the Steelers. He was on track to return for this year’s opener, but he was shut down after playing 12 snaps in the Steelers’ third preseason game. He began the season on injured reserve and was designated to return Sept. 29, beginning a 21-day window for the Steelers to activate him. That window was set to expire during the Steelers’ bye week.
Banner has 23 games of NFL experience, including 14 with the Steelers in 2019. With Banner out, Chuks Okorafor has taken over as the starting right tackle.
