Parker, Hampton, Smith may return for Steelers

Safety Troy Polamalu has not been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Giants.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers hope to welcome back to the lineup three Pro Bowl players from injury this week, including running back Willie Parker.

Parker will practice starting today, coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. Parker, who has a sprained left knee, has not played since Pittsburgh’s lone loss of the season in Philadelphia on Sept. 21.

“Willie Parker continues to progress,” Tomlin said. “He’ll practice in a limited capacity — maybe not a limited capacity — tomorrow. ... We will continue to push him toward game day.”

Pro Bowl tackles Casey Hampton and Marvel Smith may also return.

Safety Troy Polamalu has not been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Giants despite sustaining the seventh concussion of his career last weekend.

Tomlin confirmed Tuesday that Polamalu received a concussion while tackling Bengals running back Cedric Benson on Sunday, the same play on which cornerback Bryant McFadden broke his right forearm. McFadden is expected to be out at least a month.

Despite Polamalu’s past history of concussions, he may not miss any playing time.

“Tests are favorable at this point, he’s slated to practice [today] and we’ll see how he goes,” Tomlin said.

Polamalu’s sometimes reckless tackling style in which he launches headfirst into a ball carrier has made him susceptible to concussions, although this is his first in the NFL since he was hurt tackling the Saints’ Reggie Bush on Nov. 12, 2006.

Parker was on track to return against Cincinnati before aggravating the injury during practice early in the week.

Parker’s replacement, Mewelde Moore, has performed well. Moore, signed as a free agent from the Vikings in the offseason and initially the Steelers’ fourth-string tailback, has rushed for 219 yards the past two weeks and scored three touchdowns in the win over the Bengals.

If Parker doesn’t suffer any setbacks this week, he will start Sunday and Moore will return to his role as third-down back, Tomlin said.

“We’ll continue to give Mewelde his looks,” Tomlin said. “A lot of that will be determined by Willie’s level of conditioning and the flow of the football game.”

Hampton hasn’t played since injuring his groin against Philadelphia, but Tomlin said he will practice today and that he anticipates Hampton will play Sunday.