Steelers star DE Smith won't face Jets

PITTSBURGH -- Aaron Smith might not be identified often as one of the best at his position in the NFL.

Ask anyone in the Steelers locker room, though, and they’ll tell you he’s not only the top 3-4 defensive end in the league, but of his generation.

There was no greater acknowledgment of the respect Smith commands as a player and person within the Pittsburgh organization than when the team did not put him on injured reserve after he tore his left triceps in a 23-22 win at Miami on Oct. 24.

The decision ultimately cost the Steelers promising linebacker Thaddeus Gibson, their fourth-round draft pick four months before Smith was hurt.

But there are tough decisions made every day in the NFL. And this was one the Steelers can live with.

“It’s a sign of respect,” safety Ryan Clark said. “You don’t do that for just anybody — you do that for a leader. You do that for a guy who will do anything to be back. He’s earned that. You don’t do that for a young guy because they haven’t earned that right. Aaron Smith has earned the right to be waited upon.”

Considering Smith’s injury was less than three months ago and the standard recovery time for such an ailment is four to six months, keeping Smith available for a theoretical return was indeed quite a compliment to pay the 12-year veteran.

And Smith returned the favor, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. He didn’t pack it in. He returned to the practice field the past two weeks, in fact, but was limited in participation. He is considered extremely unlikely to play Sunday when the Steelers meet the Jets.

Should Pittsburgh win, though, and advance to the Super Bowl, the prospect of Smith taking the field in uniform for that game would make all the waiting — and the loss of Gibson, claimed off waivers by San Francisco — worthwhile.

“If there’s even a slight opportunity or a slim chance for him to play in the Super Bowl if we advance, we’d love to have him out there because he’s a difference maker,” said wide receiver Hines Ward, the only Steeler who’s been around longer than Smith. “I think by not putting him on IR shows what kind of player he is, shows what he means to our team and this organization. Hopefully, we can get past this one, because I would love to see Aaron play in the Super Bowl.”

Such an inspirational return would not be unique to the Steelers.

In 1995, All-Pro cornerback Rod Woodson tore an ACL in the season opener. He was not placed on IR, and became the first NFL player to return to play during the same season he sustained such an injury. Woodson was active for the Super Bowl loss to Dallas.

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