During the 2012 NFL preseason, then rookie linebacker Sean Spence suffered a gruesome knee injury against the Carolina Panthers in his first game as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many questioned whether or not Spence would ever return to the field, but he is reportedly getting closer than ever.
According to longtime Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac, Spence is “significantly ahead of where the Steelers thought he would be at this point.”Unfortunately for Spence, “because of the unstable nature of the nerve, it is still too early to determine if he is healthy enough to play in 2014. ”
If Spence is healthy enough to play, then the Steelers could line him up alongside Lawrence Timmons at inside linebacker.
However, if they are still not confident that their 2012 third-round pick will be able to contribute during the season, Pittsburgh could target an inside linebacker via free agency or in the 2014 NFL Draft.