INJURY UPDATE

Cowher said running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala may miss the rest of the preseason with his hamstring injury. It's one in a long string of injuries for Fuamatu-Ma'afala, who is puzzled by his misfortune.

"Man, if you had the answer," he told a reporter, "I'd be asking you everyday what's going on. But I'll just to move on from here and get better."

Tight end Jerame Tuman (groin) and linebacker Jason Gildon (knee) also missed practice yesterday. Cowher said Tuman won't play Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys, and he is leaning toward giving Gildon the night off, too.

Gildon said he hurt his knee last week when the team practiced on the Field Turf at Penn-Trafford High School.

"He had cleats on and they were grabbing pretty good," Cowher said.

Gildon has fluid on the knee, but doctors did not have to drain it and the swelling is already starting to go down. An MRI test was negative, Gildon said.

He may skip practice this week while giving the knee a chance to heal.

The only other player to miss practice yesterday was quarterback Tim Levcik (knee).

Center Jeff Hartings (knee) returned and right guard Kendall Simmons, who is fighting the effects of diabetes, spent most of his time with the first unit in his most extended work of camp.

"We're going to keep increasing the load (on Simmons)," Cowher said, "and John (Norwig, the head trainer) is going to monitor it. I told (Norwig), 'Tell me if we need to pull him out a little bit and we'll slow him down.' "

If Simmons has no complications, he probably will start Thursday, Cowher said.

RANDLE EL AT QB?

Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El has not heard from the coaches that he will be the third quarterback this season, but he has nothing against the idea.

"I think they would put Brian (St. Pierre) in just because he's been there and he's learning some of the offense," Randle El said, "but I think at some point they would probably give me a chance."

He was quick to point out that he was merely speculating.

"Don't quote me on that. I don't know what's going on," he said.

Randle El was a quarterback at Indiana University, and he still gets an occasional urge to play the position.

"You never lose that," he said.

It's been a rough preseason for St. Pierre, who has completed nine of 20 pass attempts for 85 yards, with three sacks and two interceptions.

SOUP's ON Steelers offensive lineman Todd Fordham made a huge contribution to the Western Pennsylvania community Monday when he stepped on a spoon-shaped scale at St. Vincent College and turned his 315-pound body into soup.

When it took 391 cans of soup to balance the scale, the Campbell's soup company pledged to donate 10 times that amount (3,910 cans of soup) to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Fordham said he doesn't know how much each can of soup weighs, but he said jokingly, "I hope it's not close to a pound."

He was happy that his poundage was put to good use off the football field.

"That's the main thing," he said. "Somebody is going to be fed because of it. Anything you can do to help the community and help out kids is well worth it."

Overall, Campbell's will donate 10,279 cans of soup, including Fordham's total and one for the combined weight of everyone else who got on the scale.

Former Steelers offensive lineman Craig Wolfley weighed 415 cans, but there were a few cases of soup added to his side of the scale.