Ryan Shazier has not been cleared to return to Pittsburgh.
Shazier, who suffered what his teammates described as a spinal cord concussion in the Steelers' 23-20 win over the Bengals on Monday night, will undergo additional testing at University of Cincinnati Medical Center for the next 24-48 hours until he is released from the hospital, according to a statement released by Dr. David Okonkwo, a neurosurgeon on the Steelers' medical staff, and Dr. Joseph Cheng, Chief of Neurosurgery at UC Health.
The statement was released after Mike Tomlin told reporters early Tuesday afternoon that he did not have an update on Shazier's status and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted that Shazier regained "some movement" in his lower extremities after he was hospitalized overnight.
Upon returning to Pittsburgh, Shazier, a 25-year-old linebacker who leads the Steelers in tackles this season, will continue to be treated and evaluated by UPMC doctors.
"From my perspective, obviously, it was a tough evening," Tomlin told reporters Tuesday afternoon. "Again, Ryan is a trooper. I had an opportunity to spend some time with him and he’s in really good sprits. Tough guy. He has great support from family and loved ones there. It was painful to kind of get on that plane last night. But that’s life. We realize and understand that he’s in really good hands and is getting expert medical care. He also challenged us to move on with what it is we need to move on to and he’s with us as well."
Tomlin deferred to the medical update provided by the Steelers late last night, which included details on Shazier's treatment and a statement from Kevin Colbert:
Statement by #Steelers GM/VP Kevin Colbert on LB Ryan Shazier pic.twitter.com/WEp6wktNCu
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) December 5, 2017
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 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.
A number of his teammates left the sideline to kneel 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.
Although players were off Tuesday and unavailable to the media, they expressed guarded optimism after the win Monday night. One player told our site that Shazier will be “OK.” Another said the team’s leader in interceptions and passes defensed would be “all right.” Another said Shazier was “going to be fine.” One player expressed more optimism than most.
Vince Williams was particularly emotional when discussing what occurred, and Tomlin was not surprised at all by the impact the injury had on his players, particularly Williams.
"I wasn’t surprised by Vince’s response," Tomlin said. "I know how close those men are. They’re professional brothers, but it goes beyond that. When you put in what we put into what we do, the relationships go beyond professional. They’re quite personal and they have to be if you need outcomes. We don’t run away from that. We embrace that. … In a lot of ways we shared his response. We just didn’t share it as outwardly as he did."
Shortly before Tomlin held his weekly news conference, though, Mitchell tweeted that he had spoken with Shazier and that the news was encouraging:
For those concerned just got off the phone with 50. He’s in good spirits already making progress! God has him. Keep praying keep believing in faith. Never thought I’d say this but #Shalieve lol
— Mike Mitchell (@iammikemitchell) December 5, 2017
Vince Williams also tweeted this:
?
— Vincenzo Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) December 5, 2017
Tomlin opened his press conference by thanking the staff at University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where Shazier was transported and hospitalized overnight.
He also thanked paramedics and the Cincinnati Police Department, who escorted him, Colbert and Art Rooney II to the hospital to visit with Shazier following the game:
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
Tomlin spent time with Shazier and Shazier's family before he was escorted by police to the team plane, which left Cincinnati shortly after 12:30 a.m. Although Tomlin was guarded with his comments, he did discuss his conversations with Shazier at the hospital.
No, Shazier's future in football was not discussed. All the Steelers' inside linebacker wanted to talk about was his teammates and the game.
"Strangely normal," Tomlin said when asked to describe those conversations. "Ryan is a legitimate leader. He's asking about the guys, Vince (Williams), particularly. I told him about the guys. We talked about how the game unfolded and some of those things. Normal conversations. Not only is he a mentally tough guy, but spiritually, he's a guy who's in a great place and I know that's important to he and his family."
Shazier’s injury may be similar to the spinal cord concussion suffered by former Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox in 2002 in a game at Tennessee. Maddox also spent the night in a local 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.
Typically, movement is regained gradually as the swelling in the spinal cord dissipates. However, there is a difference between a spinal cord concussion and a spinal cord contusion, as Dr. David Chao, who served as the team doctor for the Chargers, explained in this article for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
A spinal cord concussion typically goes away within a few hours with the person regaining full movement in their extremities. Chao explained that a spinal cord contusion is an actual injury to the spinal cord, rather than the swelling that occurs with a concussion, and that Shazier's current symptoms could indicate there is damage to the spinal cord.
However, the encouragement expressed by Shazier's teammates would indicate that's not the case, as well as Colbert's statement late Monday night. But Tomlin did not find solace in any of those reports or developments.
"Again, I’m not looking to feel better for selfish reasons," Tomlin said. "My energy and prayers are focused on Ryan and his recovery."
As the Steelers await word about Shazier, they must begin to prepare to face the Ravens. Tomlin said that quick transition can be difficult, especially under these circumstances, but he expressed confidence that his players can accomplish that while remaining hopeful for Shazier.
"We don’t wait for something to happen to talk about those things," he said. "We talk about transitioning week in and week out. There’s a process we go through in terms of preparation to play, evaluation of that play and repeat the process."
