Steelers’ Hines Ward cools his jets
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Hines Ward loves Wednesdays.
Why?
He doesn’t have to practice on Wednesdays, and hasn’t all season. The Steelers give him the day off so he can rest his aching body and, specifically lately, his tender knee. He was the only member of the Steelers who didn’t practice today, even though the team went without pads.
‘Why would I come here and do it now?’ the receiver said, when asked if he planned to practice before Thursday.
‘We’re just keeping it on the same schedule. I get an extra day to get more rehab and get closer and closer. I have to be smart. I’m not going to go out there and go 100% and risk falling on the ground in practice. I want to save all I can until I get into the game.’
Ward strained a knee ligament in the first quarter of the AFC championship victory over Baltimore. He wore a small black brace at practice today and walked through a few plays with the first-team offense before the start of practice.
-- Sam Farmer