AFC Notes: Dolphins, Patriots, Steelers

Dolphins

Dolphins’ WR Antonio Callaway will reportedly have to serve four more games of suspension due to his failure to adhere to the league’s substance-abuse policy. He is currently is on the team’s practice squad suspended list and is eligible to return in Week 8.

“We did a lot of work on Antonio,” Flores said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “We felt it was an opportunity to add a talented player, and that’s what we did. We will work with him the next few weeks. When we can, we will work with him and we’ll see where it goes.”

Patriots

• Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Patriots sixth-round G Michael Onwenu rotated with OL Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle Sunday. Patriots HC Bill Belichick said those two set themselves apart to replace OT Marcus Cannon: “Good opportunity to open the position up to competition, [and] those two players are ahead of the rest at this point.”
• Reiss notes Patriots TE Ryan Izzo‘s experience gave him the nod as the starter over third-round rookie TEs Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, as he played all but one snap last week. 

Steelers

• Per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, the Steelers were happy with what they saw from QB Ben Roethlisberger in his first game back, with one staff member saying he didn’t look like he was suffering negatively from the after-effects of last year’s elbow injury: “He looked like Ben in the second half. His throwing motion is slightly different but he’s all the way back.”
• However, the offensive line is looking like a little bit of a concern per La Canfora, with right guard David DeCastro still out with a knee injury and starting right tackle Zach Banner lost for 2020 with a torn ACL. 
• The Steelers are high on fourth-round G Kevin Dotson and he’ll replace DeCastro in the lineup for now, with La Canfora noting Pittsburgh is thinking about moving him out to tackle when DeCastro returns. 
• Steelers LT Alejandro Villanueva also hasn’t looked sharp in his past 17 games, with one NFL advance scout saying he’s a potential part of Pittsburgh’s offensive line issues: “That ain’t the line Ben is used to, I’m just telling you that. I’m starting to wonder about the left tackle a little bit, too, compared to how he played a few years ago, and the right side, for me, is a problem.”