CINCINNATI -- Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier suffered what at least one teammate said was a spinal cord concussion early in the first quarter of the team's 23-20 come-from-behind victory over the Bengals on Monday night at Paul Brown Stadium.
Shazier was taken off on a backboard after suffering the injury while tackling receiver Josh Malone early in the first quarter. The 25-year-old was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, but Mike Tomlin did not provide any updates to reporters following the game and repeatedly declined to address any specifics about the injury, including whether or not he saw any movement in Shazier's legs.
Shazier's teammates, on the other hand, expressed guarded optimism in the locker room.
Kevin Colbert released a statement about two hours following the game saying Shazier would spend the night in a Cincinnati hospital before traveling back to Pittsburgh Tuesday.
Statement by #Steelers GM/VP Kevin Colbert on LB Ryan Shazier pic.twitter.com/WEp6wktNCu
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) December 5, 2017
Colbert's statement came not long after ESPN's Michele Steele Tweeted that he, Tomlin and team president Art Rooney II had visited Shazier.
Mike Tomlin at hospital to visit Shazier - GM Kevin Colbert here - Tomlin waved us off when asked for an update pic.twitter.com/MJ1ihdQZQ8
— Michele Steele (@ESPNMichele) December 5, 2017
Earlier, Tomlin had refused to give an official update on the status of his starting inside linebacker, only saying, "I don’t have any update in terms of his status. ... We’re just happy he’s getting the medical attention he deserves."
Not long after Tomlin addressed the media, the Steelers were asked if they were informed of Shazier's status since leaving the field and what they witnessed before and during the chilling scene when one of the leaders of the defense was left lying on the turf.
One player told our site that Shazier will be "OK." Another said the team's leader in interceptions and pass defenses would be "all right." Another said Shazier was "going to be fine." One player expressed more optimism than most.
Here's a look at the play:
A number of his teammates came out and knelt by Shazier on the field while team doctors examined him. He did have use of his arms and raised his head up several times, as well, but there was no sign of leg movement. Safety Mike Mitchell, who was inactive for the game because of an ankle injury, also came off the bench to talk to Shazier.
The Steelers, who improved to 10-2 with a victory that was not secured until Chris Boswell kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired, fell behind 17-0 following the injury and had a tough time coping with seeing one of their teammates taken from the field on a back board.
"It's so tough anytime anybody goes down," said Ben Roethlisberger, who threw for 290 yards to become the the eighth player in NFL history to surpass 50,000 career passing yards.
"It's scary; emotions are running like crazy."
The Bengals, who fell to 5-7 with the loss, had a similar thing happen in the fourth quarter when linebacker Vontaze Burfict was taken off the field following an illegal hit by rookie receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
"(It was) very difficult. It was so early on, it was a little bit shocking the way it happened," said defensive end Cameron Heyward. "To look and see one of your guys down, you don’t want to see that. I know they’re going through it with (Vontaze) Burfict. It’s not a good sight to see."
"It was tough," defensive end Stephon Tuitt told me of seeing his teammate down. "I’m just glad everything is good. God is good."
Shazier's injury is similar to the one suffered by former Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox in 2002 in a game at Tennessee. Maddox also spent the night in a Nashville hospital before returning home.
The injury caused Maddox to lose feeling temporarily in his arms and legs but he returned to play after sitting out just one game. Roethlisberger also suffered a similar injury in 2009 in a game against the Browns.
Medical web sites describe a spinal cord concussion as caused by a sudden and violent jolt, resulting in neurological deficits. Symptoms usually disappear in less than a day, sometimes a few hours, depending on the severity of the injury. They most typically occur in football and car accidents.
Shazier's injury was the one of two in the game that saw a player taken off on a back board.
Burfict's injury came during a game-tying touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. Smith-Schuster came back to hit Burfict with a block on a reception by Le'Veon Bell, then stood over the linebacker, drawing a taunting penalty as well.
The Bengals were upset about it, as was Tomlin.
"He shouldn't have stood over him," Tomlin said. "We don't want to be penalized, and we want to play within the rules. We respect player safety. I can assess judgment on the fact he stood over him, and that's not how we play."
"Obviously, it's a penalty, but I don't know the intent," said Cincinnati safety George Iloka, who was penalized for laying out Brown in the end zone after he caught a game-tying 6-yard TD pass moments after Burfict was carted off.
"I wasn't a fan of standing over a player, especially one that's hurt. That is something they have complained about. ... Someone gets hurt and you don't know the extent of their injuries, and you're standing over them for five or six seconds after that. It's kind of bush league."
Burfict, who has injured Roethlisberger, Bell and Antonio Brown in past Steelers-Bengals games, was evaluated for a concussion and also had a shoulder injury.
"Karma," said Brown several times when asked about the hit.
Burfict gave Brown a concussion at the end of a last-second 18-16 playoff win here in the 2015 season, helping set up a game-winning field goal for the Steelers. Brown missed the next playoff game, a loss in Denver.
"I was playing to the whistle," said Smith-Schuster, who can expect a hefty fine. "I didn't mean to stand over him. I was trying to get a big block for Le'Veon for him to get up the field. The unsportsmanlike conduct is not me. I shouldn't have done that. I hope he's OK and I hope he gets better."
The injuries were two of several on both sides in what was a physical game.
Shazier's replacement, Tyler Matakevich left early in the third quarter with a left shoulder injury. He was replaced by L.J. Fort.
And several Bengals players, including cornerback Adam Jones and rookie running back Joe Mixon, also had to be helped off the field. Jones did not return after suffering a groin injury while recording a first-quarter interception. Mixon was diagnosed with a concussion following a tackle by Vince Williams in the first half.
"It sort of reminded me of the playoff game we had here, what, two years ago?" Heyward said. "We are just the best reality TV show out there. We’ve got them beat. These guys get it done. It doesn’t matter how it gets done."
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
