Hines Ward practiced Thursday for the first time since suffering a sprained right knee in the AFC Championship Game two weeks ago, and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said the wide receiver looked “awesome.”

Tomlin also confirmed Ward will play Sunday in Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals.

“He is where I thought he would be today,” Tomlin said.  He went on to say:

“We’re getting a great look from our scout teams, and we have all year,”

“I can’t say enough about the quality of work we’re getting from Byron Leftwich, who has been fantastic all season imitating the other quarterback. He’s giving our defense a good look at how Kurt Warner plays.”