Ryan Shazier won’t play for Steelers in 2018

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be missing the man in the middle of their defense for the 2018 season.

Since being drafted with the 15th pick in the 2014 draft, Ryan Shazier has been a starting middle linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the subsequent three years, he’s been the athletic, rangy player the team hoped for when they picked him. He’s a leader and playmaker for the organization.

On Monday Night Football in Week 12 of this past season, Shazier suffered a serious neck/back injury. He was carted off the field and rushed to the hospital.

Since that date, Shazier has been showing extraordinary progress in his rehabilitation. The team utilized his presence as rally cry once they hit the playoffs.

Pittsburgh’s general manager Kevin Colbert took the podium at the NFL combine in Indianapolis on Monday and spoke about Shazier’s future with the team. According to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network, he will be on the roster.

Pittsburgh picked up Shazier’s fifth year option prior to the 2017 season. Pittsburgh will find some place to keep him around the organization. He is still in a wheel chair but has been cleared for out patient rehabilitation.

With Shazier out for 2018 it opens up an even bigger hole for the Steelers at the linebacker position. The team is already being pegged as a destination for one of the draft’s talented middle linebackers.

Next: Pittsburgh Steelers 7 round mock draft

Pittsburgh owns the 28th pick in the first round of this draft. This will likely leave them missing out on Roquon Smith of Georgia and Trumaine Edmunds of Virginia Tech, the top two inside linebackers in the class. However, it would be an ideal landing spot for Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans. He would give the team a replacement for Shazier for this season and a running mate once the former Pro Bowler returns.