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It was morning on an overcast day. And Steven Sims was indoors in a windowless room.

Sims, though, was wearing black sunglasses.

“Eyes are just a little sensitive to the light,” Sims said from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ locker room Wednesday.

Understandable, after Sims took a direct hit from a football in one of his eyes during warm-ups prior to the Steelers game at the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

“Straight point of the ball,” Sims said, “and my eye was open. So it got me pretty good.”

The injury was painful, but what hurt Sims even more was that it thwarted what was to be his return to the field as an NFL regular. A speedy wide receiver, Sims appeared in 28 games his first two seasons for Washington in 2019-20, but he’d been on the field for just five NFL snaps in the two seasons since.

But with coach Mike Tomlin unhappy with Gunner Olszewski following a pair of Olszewski fumbles over a three-game span, Sims was set to take over as the Steelers’ punt and kick returner with a bit role as the No. 4 wide receiver. Related

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An errant football on a direct hit to Sims’ eye meant he was in the locker room — and not on the field — on Sunday when the Bills’ first kickoff was booted.

“Damn, what the (heck)?” Sims said. “It was really just like, I don’t even know, ‘Damn, why did this happen?’ I don’t know. But everything happens for a reason. You’ve got to look at it like that.

“Just a freaky accident.”

It was made worse that fill-in kick returner, James Pierre, muffed his only attempt, giving Buffalo the ball back.

But despite what he said was blurry vision and depth-perception issues, Sims was soon cleared to play and was back out there for ensuing return situations. He even played three snaps on offense (with no touches) during what ended up a 38-3 loss.

“It was moreso catching (passes) was the issue,” Sims said. “But if you handed me the ball on offense, I would have been all right. But we were obviously in a lot of backed-up situations passing so our base offensive plays weren’t being called. We were in pass situations behind the sticks and had to throw the ball. So it was what it was.”

Tomlin on Tuesday said Sims would again be the designated return man for this Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I am excited,” Sims said. “Not even worried about (his eye). I am gonna be all right Sunday.”

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.

Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris by email at cadamski@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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