Steelers' Ladarius Green: Ruled out for first six games

Green (ankle) was transferred to the regular-season PUP list Tuesday, ruling him out for the first six games of the year, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Analysis:

Green has recovered from January ankle surgery much slower than expected, with his continued absence from practice even stirring rumors that he's still bothered by symptoms from a concussion he suffered early last season. He recently shot down those rumors, speaking publicly for one of the few times since he signed a four-year, $20 million contract in March. The 26-year-old tight end did admit that his ankle is progressing slowly, as he only recently started bearing weight on the affected leg. The Steelers hope to have him back by midseason, but it does seem there's at least some chance Green ends up missing the entire year. Jesse James has filled in as the starting tight end this preseason, with David Johnson and Xavier Grimble also picking up some first-team snaps.