Steelers' Pouncey Back on Field After Missing 2015 Season

The Steelers' Maurkice Pouncey is relieved to be back on the field after a horrific 2015 season that saw the Pro Bowl center undergo six surgical procedures and a skin graft, he told ESPN.

Pouncey broke his left fibula in the preseason when Green Bay Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix fell onto the back of his leg. Packers receiver Jordy Nelson also tore his anterior cruciate ligament in that Aug. 23 game.

Pouncey suffered a setback in October. The surgical wound didn't close properly, resulting in a staph infection.

"It was scary," Pouncey said. "I don't want that on my worst enemy."

Pouncey has recovered from the injury and fully participated in offseason workouts, even as the coaching staff has urged him to take days off. He's making up for lost time.

In October, Pouncey was preparing for a return to the lineup by running and working out at the team facility. Something didn't feel right. An examination found Pouncey's wound didn't granulate as the team had hoped, he said.

In the ensuing weeks, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin never officially ruled out Pouncey for the season when talking to reporters. But his 2015 was basically over.

"It all went downhill from there," said Pouncey, who was eligible to return Nov. 8 against Oakland after a stint on short-term injured reserve. "It all happened so fast. I thought I was going to play."

The staph infection hadn't yet reached the bone; after corrective surgeries, Pouncey slept with a PICC line for medicine two different times. At some point, Pouncey also had an E. coli infection that wasn't as serious but required attention, he said.

Pouncey said he underwent multiple surgeries along with a few "clean-outs," plus the graft, equaling seven procedures total.