First Call: Troy Polamalu planning Pittsburgh return; Dwayne Haskins breaks tooth in Las Vegas incident
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Pittsburgh Steelers legend Troy Polamalu may return to Heinz Field. Backup quarterback Dwayne Haskins reportedly lost a tooth during an incident in Las Vegas. An update on when Pirates fans may get to see Jacob deGrom. And we’ll let you know how WPIAL and Pitt product Cam Johnson did in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Polamalu back to Pittsburgh?
There have long been concerns about an icy relationship between Troy Polamalu and the Steelers front office since he left the franchise after the 2014 season.
At the time, at least a year too soon for Polamalu’s liking.
That theory has gained steam every year since because Polamalu has so rarely been back at Heinz Field for any team gatherings.
However, there have been signs of a thaw as the notoriously private Polamalu has been frequently in front of news cameras in the weeks leading up to his Hall of Fame induction. Along the way, he has repeatedly gushed about his happy memories of times in Pittsburgh.
That trend continued Wednesday when, via a virtual media interview session, Polamalu said he is planning to make a return trip to Heinz Field this season.
“God willing, this season, my family and I will be able to make it back to Pittsburgh for a couple games, at least,” Polamalu said.
Polamalu, as he previously did with Andrew Stockey of WTAE, stated that he now looks back at his departure from Pittsburgh as something that occurred at the right time.
“It ended at the most perfect time,” Polamalu said Wednesday about his career. “I’m so grateful that I’m here today with the faculties that I have, with the health that I have.”
Off-the-field incident on the Strip
Dwayne Haskins’ wife Kalabrya Gondrezick-Haskins was arrested on July 3 and is accused of punching the Steelers quarterback in the mouth at a Las Vegas casino. According to Las Vegas television station KTNV, she now faces a domestic violence charge.
An arrest report says authorities found a piece of a tooth in the bedroom next to the closet.
Via the TV station, “The report describes Dwayne Haskins’ injuries as ‘substantial in nature,’ saying he had a split upper lip that would require stitches and a missing upper tooth. It also says his mouth appeared bruised and ‘would most certainly require dental work to repair his teeth.’”
The incident reportedly had something to do with Haskins going to a nightclub with his friends while the couple was with a group of people celebrating their marriage back in March.
Haskins admitted to a verbal argument in the hotel room but claimed no memory of being hit in the mouth.
Waiting game
For Pirates fans who want to catch a glimpse of pitching dominance, it appears New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom won’t be pitching at PNC Park until Sunday.
The presumptive National League Cy Young Award winner is 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA, 146 strikeouts and just 11 walks. He skipped the All-Star Game, and it was believed he’d open the second half of the season against the putrid Pirates lineup Friday night in the series opener between the clubs.
Instead, Marcus Stroman will get the call Friday night, perhaps followed by All-Star Taijuan Walker Saturday. That’s according to Mets beat reporter Mike Puma of the New York Post.
Mets plan to start Marcus Stroman for the second-half opener on Friday. As for Jacob deGrom, they want to see how he feels returning before committing to a day, but it sounds like they are looking at Sunday. Walker possibly Saturday, depending on recovery from last night.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) July 14, 2021
The teams split four games in New York before the All-Star Game. The Pirates beat Stroman Saturday but lost to Walker Friday.
Pittsburgh’s rotation isn’t official yet.
Can Cam?
Cam Johnson of the Phoenix Suns was one of the few bright spots for the club during their Game 3 NBA Finals loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
He had 14 points and threw down one of the dunks of the year.
CAM'S SLAM from EVERY ANGLE #NBAFinals on ABC pic.twitter.com/v8i86fI1xR
— NBA (@NBA) July 12, 2021
But the Suns lost 120-100.
On Wednesday, Johnson had 10 points, but Milwaukee rallied to outlast Phoenix 109-103. The series is now tied at 2-2.
Game 5 is set for 9 p.m. on Saturday in Phoenix.