PITTSBURGH — Landry Jones wouldn’t mind a shot at redemption. Ben Roethlisberger with his mess of a right shoulder hopes it doesn’t come to that.

Jones took the majority of the snaps with the starters for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday, prepping for Sunday’s playoff visit to Denver just in case Roethlisberger can’t find a way to make it work with the sprained shoulder of his throwing arm.

“You want to be a tough guy,” Roethlisberger said.

Just, Roethlisberger insists, not a stupid one. Though the pain in the shoulder has eased a bit since Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict drove it into the rain-soaked turf at Paul Brown Stadium in the third quarter of last Saturday’s 18-16 wild-card win, Roethlisberger knows there’s a difference between fending off your two sons and chucking a football 30 yards downfield against the NFL’s best defense.

“Of course I want to be out there with the guys,” he said. “But I’ve always said not at the expense of hurting the team.”

Maybe, but there’s little chance of Roethlisberger being 100 percent healthy in time for kickoff. His adrenaline-fueled game-winning drive against the Bengals included six passes that were little more than flips and flares. The one time he bit his cheek and gunned it, the ball sailed high over wide receiver Antonio Brown’s head.

Having a quarterback with limited range isn’t ideal when facing the self-described “No Fly Zone,” particularly if Brown isn’t available to create his usual open-field chaos. The two-time All-Pro missed practice on Wednesday as he continues to go through the NFL’s concussion protocol after taking a shot to the head from Burfict on Roethlisberger’s final throw. The penalty fallout from the play propelled the Steelers into easy field-goal range.

Coach Mike Tomlin would prefer not to think about playing without Brown, though tight end Heath Miller isn’t convinced it would doom a season in which the Steelers have somehow advanced to the final eight despite losing Roethlisberger, running backs Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams, and center Maurkice Pouncey to injury.

“If (Brown) is not able to go, then we’re not going to not make the trip,” Miller said.

BRONCOS: Peyton Manning is preparing for his first start in 64 days, and for once he’s the healthiest quarterback.

Manning won back his starting job two weeks ago, replacing Brock Osweiler and leading Denver past San Diego.

Osweiler sprained his right knee in that game. He spent the portion of practice open to the media Wednesday working on the side with conditioning coach Luke Richesson.

Rookie quarterback Trevor Siemian shared snaps with Manning.

• Demaryius Thomas is trying to get his mother to Denver so she can see him play football for the first time.

Katina Smith was released from federal prison last summer when President Barack Obama commuted her sentence on drug trafficking charges, part of a push to reduce the prison population of non-violent offenders.

Smith went to a halfway house in Georgia and was restricted from traveling until now.

Thomas said he hopes she can see him play against Pittsburgh on Sunday.

He said the reunion “would mean a lot. This would be her first game. I’ll be excited. She’ll be excited.”

SEAHAWKS: Running back Marshawn Lynch was a full participant in practice, but Coach Pete Carroll cautioned that was no indication whether Lynch would play at Carolina on Sunday. Lynch hasn’t played since Week 10 because of an abdominal injury.

PANTHERS: Coach Ron Rivera said running back Jonathan Stewart, wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and safety Kurt Coleman will play Sunday against Seattle.

All three starters returned from injuries to participate fully in practice.

PACKERS: Starting cornerback Sam Shields returned to practice on a limited basis after sustaining a concussion in Week 14 against Dallas.