The sprained left foot of QB Ben Roethlisberger might be the least of the 2-2 Pittsburgh Steelers‘ injury problems this week. Coach Mike Tomlin told the media this week that he expects his quarterback to play on Sunday when the embattled AFC champions host the 3-1 Tennessee Titans.
Outside Linebacker James Harrison requires surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone near his right eye and will be out “for a number of weeks.”
Harrison sustained the injury in the third quarter of Pittsburgh’s 17-10 loss last week when a portion of his helmet struck him in the eye as he collided with a Houston Texans player.
The 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year returned to the game, but wasn’t himself.
“I told y’all it’s wasn’t a concussion!! Lol I’ll be ok in time,” Harrison tweeted on Tuesday after the injury was announcement.
The Steelers will move Lawrence Timmons over from his inside linebacker to replace Harrison and start veteran reserve Larry Foote in Timmons’ place at ILB
A right eye socket fracture sounds incredibly painful; Harrison went down the very exact play after Houston’s all world WR Andre Johnson went down with an injury.
The injury bug bit the Steelers, defensive front seven again as DE Aaron Smith is ‘extremely questionable’ for Sunday due to a mid-foot sprain. Smith hasn’t exactly been the commanding defensive end that we know and love. His absence provides a chance for the rookie out of Ohio State Cameron Heyward along with Ziggy Hood to shore up the abysmal run defense.
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