Antonio Brown injury update: Steelers MVP leaves Week 15 early

Antonio Brown left Pittsburgh’s Week 15 showdown with the New England Patriots early with what looked like a leg injury.

The absolute last thing the Pittsburgh Steelers wanted to see — and football fans in general, for that matter — was an injury to Antonio Brown. That appears to be what happened in Week 15, as the MVP candidate was helped off the field after suffering what looked like at the very least an ankle injury.

At the worst, it’s something that could end his season before the Steelers reach the playoffs — and before Brown is able to pull off an MVP season. It would have been the first time that a wide receiver won the award, but all of that is on hold at the moment.

More importantly, the Steelers Super Bowl aspirations are on hold, as Brown is perhaps the most important part of the Pittsburgh offense.

Brown was sandwiched between two Patriots defenders on a throw to the endzone, and it appears his leg got tangled up. He initially grabbed his lower ankle, but that only sends our minds to the worst possible place. A torn Achilles — an injury that has ended the seasons of Eric Berry and Richard Sherman — is the first fear. That’s usually a non-contact injury which means it could be a break or fracture in the ankle or leg bone.

UPDATE: The Steelers announced that Brown has a calf injury — which isn’t good but also a lot less awful than we were fearing.

UPDATE 2: In a strange (dare we say fishy) turn of events, the Steelers announced at halftime that Brown will be taken to the hospital for further evaluation. This seems to suggest that the initial diagnosis of a calf injury might have been facetious.

In the grand scheme of things, this is par for the course for injuries to high profile superstars. Carson Wentz, David Johnson, Odell Beckham and rookie Dalvin Cook all suffered season-ending injuries. Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone a few months ago but was able to return for an ill-fated game against the Panthers this weekend. Losing Brown — perhaps the best player in football — is a loss for everyone, not just Steelers fans.

For the Steelers, Brown’s absence changes everything. All of a sudden, they’re not as hard an out for teams like the Chiefs or Jaguars who could meet them in the Divisional Round. The prospects of making it to the Super Bowl aren’t shattered but would suffer a sledgehammer blow.

This story is being updated live. Check back for more updates.