if you watch the replay of his attempted tackle, it is a classic study on how not to tackleRyan Shazier, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker who suffered a scary spinal injury in the game Monday night, remained hospitalized Tuesday in Cincinnati, undergoing further testing.
“He will continue to be monitored and treated by the neurosurgery experts at UC Medical Center until he has been cleared to return to Pittsburgh,” his doctors, David Okonkwo of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Joseph Cheng of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, said in a joint statement Tuesday afternoon. “It is expected that Ryan will undergo additional testing and evaluation over the next 24 to 48 hours, and he will then return to Pittsburgh to receive further evaluation and care at UPMC.”
Shazier was injured in the first quarter of a brutal game when he lowered his head on a hit to Bengals wide receiver Josh Malone. Shazier immediately clutched at his back and rolled over before being immobilized by the medical staff and taken to UC Medical Center. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Shazier had some movement in his lower extremities, with the ensuing 24-48 hours being “key for increased improvement.” He was not expected to require surgery at this point and reports varied on the nature of his injury.
he got himself in position to make the stop ok, but then lowered his head to make contact ... top of his helmet to the runner's hip, and Shazier came out on the worst end of it ... and he knew it as he was in obvious discomfort before being carted off and to the hospital
