Steve McLendon has missed the last three practices with no explanation given by the coaching staff. Turns out, according to Mark Kaboly of the Trib, the veteran nose tackle is recovering from a concussion.

McLendon spoke with reporters earlier today about his absence at practice. “I’m OK. It’s Coach Tomlin’s call. It’s up to him. It’s his call,” said McLendon. With McLendon out, Cam Thomas has gotten reps as the first team NT and Stephon Tuitt has gotten lots of looks at first team defensive end.

There has been a wide range of speculations regarding McLendon’s absence. Groins and hamstrings being the most obvious guesses, with “Tomlin’s doghouse” being a distant 3rd. Steve isn’t the only player missing time from a concussion. Darrius Heyward-Bey is still out from his concussion, which he suffered July 31st. According to Heyward-Bey, his symptoms are different from McLendon’s. DHB says this is the 5th concussion of his career.

Concussions effect people differently. One person might recover quickly, while another may need much more time to return to 100%. From here it’s anyone’s guess when either of the two might return.