Pittsburgh Steelers Roster, Injury News 2017: Ryan Shazier Hospitalized After Injuring His Back
With Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown leading the way, the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to fight their way back into the game and eke out a 23–20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. However, the players were somewhat subdued after the win because linebacker Ryan Shazier was taken to the hospital after he sustained a serious back injury earlier in the game.
Shazier's entire body went limp after he lowered his head as tackled Bengals wide receiver Josh Malone during the first quarter of the game, and he immediately reached for his back after the play. People noticed right away that he didn't move his legs after the hit and medical personnel had to strap him to a backboard before they placed him on a cart to be taken off the field.
The Pro Bowler's teammates were clearly shaken after he got hurt and inside linebacker Vince Williams was in tears on the sideline. The Steelers would continue to evaluate the injury in the locker room before he was eventually transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
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Later that night, the team released a statement saying that Shazier had a computerized tomography (CT) scan and a Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam at the hospital and he's not required to undergo surgery at the moment.
"Ryan is in very good spirits," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said, via the team's official website.
"A tough guy. Support from family and loved ones. We realize and understand that he's in really good hands and is getting expert medical care, and he also challenged us to move on with what we need to move on with, and that he's with us as well. That being said, we'll do that, and we'll continue to provide you insight, where appropriate, concerning where he is with his recovery," he continued.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Shazier has shown "promising signs" on Tuesday and he has begun to show movement in his lower extremities.
Shazier's condition has continued to improve, but he will have to stay at the hospital for another night while the doctors continue to monitor his back injury.
