Shaun Suisham Set to Make First Training Camp Appearance Today

Shaun Suisham - Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Due to a delay in the collective bargaining agreement, Thursday will mark Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham’s first day in training camp.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, a group of recently signed Pittsburgh Steelers, which includes more than a dozen players, including Wallaceburg’s Shaun Suisham, were held out of training camp. Thursday however, the group will have the chance to re-join their teammates a week after NFL training camps began.

Last week, Suisham signed a new contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but until ratification of the new collective bargaining agreement is completed, a process expected to be concluded Thursday, Suisham and other key Steelers were not eligible to practice.

Under the new $120 million salary cap, many Steelers stars were forced to restructure their contracts in order to get the team under the new cap, and to ensure the entire team could get back on the field Thursday.

Despite the absence of several key roster players at training camp, Head Coach Mike Tomlin said he wasn’t concerned with the players off the field, but rather with preparing the players he actually had on the field.

“We’re going to coach the ones in helmets that are working,” Coach Tomlin said in a training camp news conference Tuesday.

As well, the Seattle Seahawks laid rumours to rest that the Steelers were looking to bring back former kicker Jeff Reed to compete with Suisham when they signed to controversial kicker to a contract Wednesday.

Suisham enters his second season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the same club which originally signed the Wallaceburg native following a successful NCAA career at Bowling Green.