On Thursday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced that they opened the 21-day practice window for linebacker Tyler Matakevich.

Though Matakevich is set to return to practice, he will remain on the reserve/injured list for the time being. If the Steelers do not activate him before the conclusion of that period, he will be forced to miss the rest of the season.

The 31-year-old suffered a hamstring injury against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 and was subsequently placed on injured reserve, where he has resided ever since.

Through Pittsburgh’s first two contests of the season, Matakevich logged a total of 36 special teams snaps while recording two tackles.

He began his career with the Steelers in 2016 as a seventh-round pick out of Temple. Matakevich played parts of four seasons with the team through 2019 before departing for the Buffalo Bills.

In four years there (2020 – 2023), he posted 55 total tackles and an interception over 66 games while helping the team reach the playoffs each campaign.

Matakevich then returned to Pittsburgh on a one-year deal in July. He profiles as a special teams ace and a major component of what the Steelers do in that facet of the game, so his return is certainly a welcome one.