Looking at the Steelers roster right now, one can’t help but feel the wide receiver scales tipping over from a crowded room of talent. Every player brings something different to the table: Antonio Brown and his chemistry with Big Ben, the speed and size of the returning Martavis Bryant, the slot-smarts of Eli Rogers, and Darrius Heyward-Bey‘s veteran presence are a fraction of of the Steelers current depth chart at the position.

But who will be the #2 receiver for Ben Roethlisberger since there wasn’t a standout that could take Pittsburgh to the Super Bowl in 2016? The Steelers were stopped short of their goal in the AFC Championship game versus the Patriots because they required another threat aside from AB. With that in mind, the Steelers drafted JuJu Smith-Schuster in the second round and picked up Justin Hunter during free agency. They also have Cobi Hamilton and Demarcus Ayers who played at times throughout last season.

Yes, there’s a crowded field here at the receiver position… and I know you think I forgot all about Sammie Coates But I was saving him for last. Here is a solid WR with a physicality that stands at 6’2″ and 200 lbs. However, this Pittsburgh Steelers receiver has an interesting souvenir from the best game of his NFL career – a crooked index finger on his left hand.

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The former Auburn standout caught six passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers’ 31-13 victory over the New York Jets on Oct. 9th, 2016 – week five of the regular season. In that very game he also broke a finger and ripped a gash in his left hand that required seven stitches.

Also in this game: he dropped as many would-be touchdown passes as he caught. It was only later brought to everyone’s attention that he had a severe hand injury that was impeding his catching ability. In saying that, Sammie was also dealing with a groin injury that nagged him all season and limited him to special teams play. That injury required surgery, and Coates also had his wisdom teeth pulled back in February. (Those can hurt more than a broken bone and affect balance!)

But what about those fingers?

After an OTA workout this week Sammie told local sports media that he elected to not have surgery on his digits. He even asked those in attendance if they wanted to see his broken fingers; and when we did, you could tell his left index was healed but now bent.

Steelers Sammie Coates opted NOT to have surgery on his broken, crooked finger. Here it is: pic.twitter.com/TSzLfAJGex

— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) May 30, 2017

A closer clinical look at Coates’ future, fingers

Coates had “fracture and tendon damage” to those fingers. With the index finger healing, but crooked, what does that mean for his ability to catch the ball in 2017?

First, you have to look at his mental state. As long as Coates is comfortable, and in no pain, he should be less tentative to go for the ball. The way his hand healed, with the left index finger curving to the left towards the middle finger, he could actually have an advantage in catching a football. Sammie admitted as much to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Actually, it feels better than it did before. It kind of helps you close your hand better.

The middle finger is typically the one that is injured most in contact sports since it is the longest and more exposed. But, when the index finger is broken and then heals without surgery, there is a theory that it can accentuate a catch because the finger is now in the shape of the football.

Going forward, it’s now about strengthening the injured area and making sure that Sammie’s grip has not declined. One exercise on the menu for strength is the “ball squeeze”. By placing a tennis ball or equivalent in the palm of the injured hand and squeezing as forcefully as pain permits for five seconds, the injured player can then slowly relax the hand. The exercise then requires rest for five seconds and then a series of 10 times at least three times a day.

Generally, the more often the sequence can be repeated in a day, the better. From day to day, pain should subside until the exercise can be performed without pain. This now becomes a repetitive movement, and it’s all about muscle memory.

Finger extensions are often also recommended for strength. These are completed by placing the injured hand, palm forward, on a wall or other flat surface, then pressing the palm toward the flat surface as fully as pain permits and a hold for five seconds. The hand then is returned to starting position and rested for five seconds. This sequence is repeated ten times at least three times a day. The more often the sequence can be repeated in a day, the better. From day to day, pain should subside until the athlete is able to reach a point at which the exercise can be done without pain.

It’s all about pain tolerance of until those levels completely disappear. Then it’s grip strength, especially when going up and getting the ball from a passer like Big Ben (who throws pretty hard). As long as Coates is healed, relatively pain-free and his strength is at 100%, we should see improvement rather than the regression following Week 5 when Sammie’s fingers were in a normal position. Apparently, the Steelers wide receiver is in good hands and receiving excellent medical advice:

I started off so hot, and then I wasn’t the same player anymore. At the end of the day, you can’t let that happen to yourself. At the end of the day, it’s all mental. You can’t let it get in your head. Once you have one bad game, it kind of becomes a domino effect. It goes to the next game. I started thinking more about my fingers instead of just playing football. I had to learn from that.

But what kind of improvement could we expect? Enough to keep Coates in the lineup as a WR3 or even a two, depending on how Bryant comes back after his year long suspension.

Having a crowd of talent at the WR position is a good thing. The competition will be fierce in camp and preseason. How far Coates progresses up the depth chart looks to be dependent on how quickly he is able to adapt to his new finger placement and overall hand strength.

So far, that Sammie is out there making plays; which is great news to hear. He could feasibly turn his negative hand injury into a major positive, making his 2017 season his best yet.

.@sammiecoates11 Sammie Coates was dancin at OTAs. #SteelerNation @steelers Photo Andrew Baugh / Pgh Sports Report pic.twitter.com/55mTaTr6rG

— Andrew Baugh (@baughaw) June 2, 2017

Article Sources: Sports injuries bulletin archives AAOS 2009 and American Society for Surgery of hands