Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced this morning in his press conference that safety Ryan Clark will not play Sunday against the Denver Broncos in the AFC wild card game due to a sickle cell trait that could be a risk should he exert himself in the thin air of Denver. Tomlin made the decision after speaking with a team of doctors.
Clark almost died after he played a game against the Broncos in Denver in 2007, after which he had to have both his spleen and gall bladder removed. The Steelers held him out of the 2007 game in Denver because of concerns about his health. Clark will travel to Denver with the team on Sunday per Tomlin and will be on the sideline.
Clark led the Steelers this season with 100 tackles this season and also recorded a sack and an interception. He will be replaced my Ryan Mundy in the Steelers secondary.
