Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders told Ken Laird of Trib Live Radio after the 27-24 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday that he suffered a cracked rib in the game, but hopes to be ready by next Sunday when the Cincinnati Bengals come to town.
“I’ve just got a cracked rib, said Sanders. “Those things should heal fast, so hopefully I’ll be back next week.”
It is speculated that Sanders suffered the injury on the hit by Cowboys safety Eric Frampton that resulted in Sanders not holding onto the ball. The play was initially ruled a fumble but was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass after the official review.
Sanders has been hampered by a shoulder sprain the last few weeks and you have to wonder if the rib injury will ultimately force him to miss the game Sunday despite his optimism. Regardless if Sanders is able to dress and play, it is likely that wide receiver Plaxico Burress will dress on Sunday after being one of the seven inactives against the Cowboys.
Sanders only managed to play 11 snaps on Sunday and he was replaced by Jerricho Cotchery, who caught 2 passes for 28 yards in 28 snaps worth of playing time. Curiously enough, Cotchery also suffered a rib injury in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens several games ago and that injury forced him to miss two games as a result.
