Imagine you’re a fringe guy on the roster. Imagine that you just spent a year on the practice squad after your previous team let you go, and you finally make the 53-man roster, even if you’re a healthy scratch. Imagine your opportunity comes—and then your quarterback hits you in the eye an hour and a half before kickoff.
That’s what happened to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Steven Sims, the former Washington Commanders wide receiver, a few weeks ago. While he made the 53-man roster this year after spending the 2021 season on the practice squad, he was the sixth man and the backup returner behind Gunner Olszewski.