After shredding his knee in December 2012, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller was never himself last season. The 10-year pro missed two games and looked painfully slow for weeks after he returned.
A year removed from the injury, the 31-year-old Miller is drawing rave reviews from his teammates.
"Everything about him is better, his overall speed, his burst, coming in and out of his breaks. He just looks real good now," backup tight end Matt Spaeth said, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Offensive coordinator Todd Haley said Miller is closer to where he was in 2012, when the tight end had 71 receptions and career highs in receiving yards (816) and touchdowns (8).
"Heath is night and day from where he was last year at this time," Haley said. "He wasn't even ready to go that first game, and it took awhile to get back to where he was close feeling 100 percent. He's 100 percent ready to go. I'm excited to about him being out there for us."
The 6-foot-5 target is a favorite of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. With the departure of touchdown vulture Jerricho Cotchery, the tight end should get plenty of red zone opportunities in 2014.
The latest "Around The NFL Podcast" recaps the season opener and previews every Week 1 game.
