Ryan Shazier placed on Injured Reserve list by Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed star inside linebacker Ryan Shazier on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday after his devastating injury in Week 13.

While we all knew it was coming, the end of the season has arrived for Pittsburgh Steelers star inside linebacker Ryan Shazier. The Steelers placed the leader of their defensive on the Injured Reserve list Tuesday. He is now out for the rest of the season, and possibly much longer than that.

Shazier last played for the Steelers in Week 13’s Monday Night Football game against the division rival Cincinnati Bengals. It was a chippy contest, as are all games between the Bengals and Steelers. Shazier injured himself on a tackle early in the ball game. He lost feeling in his legs and underwent spinal stabilization surgery back on Dec. 7.

This was Shazier’s fourth season in the NFL after being a first-round pick out of Ohio State in the 2014 NFL Draft. Shazier was a Pro Bowler for the first time last year and was leading a surging Steelers defense into the AFC playoffs.

Though the Steelers have the best record in the AFC, you could tell that the team missed him terribly both on and off the field in Sunday night’s nail-biter victory over the rival Baltimore Ravens. Shazier’s ability to make plays in space and cover the gridiron sideline to sideline will be missed for who knows how long in Pittsburgh.

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Obviously, Shazier’s health is more important than any contribution he could make as a part of the Steelers defense. All fans of the NFL are pulling for the guy, hoping he can one day make a comeback. Any return date for him would be purely speculative. We do know that the Steelers will have a home playoff game this season, as they won the AFC North by beating Baltimore in primetime in Week 14.