Leftwich getting healthy, looking at next week to be back

Byron Leftwich says he’s looking to be back for next week’s game vs his 2009 team – the Bucs. If Dennis Dixon has issues this week with the Titans, which he could, it will only amp up the talk of Leftwich playing against the Bucs if he can go through a whole week of practice next week.

Byron Leftwich lined up with teammates and threw more passes in practice Thursday, and it’s obvious another bubbling quarterback controversy is on the way for the Steelers. The latest one may not occur until next week because, although Leftwich threw, he limped as if he would have to be lifted down field after every pass the way his Thundering Herd teammates did for him at Marshall after he broke a shin.

He wants to dress for the game Sunday in Tennessee. “That is not unrealistic,” Leftwich said. He would like to play Sept. 26 in Tampa Bay, where he opened the ’09 season as the starter. “We’ll see,” Leftwich said. The prognosis for his return to play after the MCL in his left knee was sprained was two to four weeks, and as Leftwich said Thursday, “I think we just hit two weeks today.” “Everything’s going fine. It’s getting better every day, and now’s the process of how long does it take to really get to where I can go out there and help this football team?”