PITTSBURGH — James Harrison spent last weekend standing on the sideline waiting for a call that never came.

The NFL’s oldest defensive player didn’t take the field for a single snap during Pittsburgh’s 26-9 win over Minnesota in Week 2, the first time in more than a decade the five-time Pro Bowler was healthy enough to take his usual menacing spot at outside linebacker and just watched instead.

This isn’t why the 39-year-old Harrison signed a two-year extension in the spring. Yet the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year isn’t in the mood to expand on what it all means.

“I’m just doing what I’m asked,” Harrison said.

And right now, what he’s being asked to do is simply be prepared. That’s it. The Steelers have relied heavily on Bud Dupree, rookie T.J. Watt and Anthony Chickillo during their 2-0 start. Arthur Moats has played eight snaps. Harrison just four. When Watt left with a left groin issue in the first half against Minnesota, it was the 24-year-old Chickillo who took over. Harrison never strayed too far from defensive coordinator Keith Butler, but his No. 92 jersey never made its way into the defensive huddle.

“We appreciate James,” head coach Mike Tomlin said. “We know what James is capable of. James will ready himself.”

That’s never been an issue. Harrison’s early morning workouts (portions of which he shares on multiple social media platforms ) have reached a kind of mythic status with his teammates. He’s as healthy as he’s been during his second act with the Steelers, which includes 15½ sacks since he rejoined Pittsburgh in 2014 following a brief 18-day retirement after an unremarkable year in Cincinnati.

Harrison was arguably Pittsburgh’s best pass rushing threat during the team’s run to the AFC title game. He picked up 2½ sacks in three playoff games and drew a holding penalty on Kansas City tackle Eric Fisher that negated what would have been a game-tying two-point conversion in the divisional round.

Though Harrison has become a de facto coach in the linebackers room, a group that considers speculation that the franchise’s all-time sack leader might be done borderline sacrilege.

“He’s more than a teacher,” inside linebacker Vince Williams said. “(He’s) is still a great player. He made a lot of great plays last year. It’s not just like from a mentor perspective, he’s not just telling you about things he used to do. These ain’t war stories. It’s from somebody who can still go out there and do that.”