Byron Leftwich was released by the Steelers on Saturday, but his stay away from the team likely will only last a day or two.

Leftwich was cut so the team could add defensive line depth on the 53-man roster for today’s game against the Tennessee Titans. To that end, Steve McLendon was signed from the practice squad.

The Steelers plan to re-sign Leftwich on Monday or Tuesday. As a vested veteran, Leftwich can’t be claimed off waivers by another team.

Until he sprained an MCL in the preseason finale, Leftwich was on track to be the starter while quarterback Ben Roethlisberger served his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The Leftwich injury vaulted Dennis Dixon into the starting role for the season opener against Atlanta. Dixon will start against the Titans, with Charlie Batch serving as the backup.

With nose tackle Casey Hampton ruled out of today’s game with a hamstring injury, the Steelers had only five healthy defensive linemen. Coach Mike Tomlin prefers using six linemen, especially early in the season when the weather is warm. McLendon could be part of the rotation.

McLendon is an undrafted free agent from Troy. He spent the 2009 season on the Steelers’ practice squad.

Heat is on

The Steelers could do something today that has never done in franchise history. But it might not be something of which they want to be a part.

The forecasted temperature for today’s game between the Steelers and Tennessee Titans at Nashville’s LP Field is 94 degrees.

That would tie for the hottest game the Steelers ever played, matching the Oct. 8, 1988, game in the Arizona desert against the Phoenix Cardinals — a game the Steelers lost, 31-14.

The Steelers have played only five games when the temperature was 90 degrees or higher — Sept. 20, 1992, at San Diego; Sept. 6, 1998, at Baltimore; Sept. 18, 1995, at Miami; and Sept. 18, 2005, at Houston.

They have a 3-2 record when the mercury reaches 90 degrees or better.

Run only if necessary

Dennis Dixon might run for yardage today against the Titans, but don’t expect it to be by design.

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians believes there is more risk than reward if he calls designed running plays for Dixon, even though his quarterback has that skill set.

“As a designed run, you are going to be playing with your second quarterback,” Arians said. “The guys who start in this league are a heck of a lot faster than those second- and third-string guys in the preseason. To design runs with just two quarterbacks, I think is a little dangerous.”

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