PITTSBURGH _ WILL linebacker Vontaze Burfict wasn’t expected to start Sunday’s game at Heinz Field against the Steelers but, as expected, he was active to play in his first game in more than a year.
The convention wisdom going into the game was that Burfict wouldn’t play much more than 10-15 snaps since he had only full practice after getting cleared from January’s micro fracture knee surgery.
Rookie linebacker P.J. Dawson sat for the first time this year to make room for Burfict, which likely meant Vincent Rey, the starter in Burfict’s spot, would be asked to take the bulk of Dawson’s special teams snaps.