Trending in right direction

Smith-Schuster (shoulder) had no apparent issues in his return to practice Thursday and is "trending toward playing" Sunday's wild-card game at Kansas City, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Thursday marked Smith-Schuster's first official day back at practice in more than three months after the Steelers designated him for return from injured reserve, but his workout apparently went well. Though Smith-Schuster was initially expected to be lost for the season when he underwent shoulder surgery in mid-October, he now appears to have a legitimate shot at making it back in action for Sunday's playoff opener. His potential return would bring a significant boost to Pittsburgh's passing game for the playoffs and would likely result in fewer reps for Ray-Ray McCloud, who had been serving as Smith-Schuster's primary replacement in the lineup.