Updating a report from earlier in the day, David Todd of ESPN 970 Radio has learned that Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Terry Hawthorne needed a procedure done on his injured knee to remove bone chips and that he could be sidelined until training camp as a result.
It was reported earlier on Wednesday by Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Hawthorne was sidelined for the Steelers second OTA practice of the 2013 season with a wrap on his knee and that he was using crutches to get around on. Now we know why.
Hawthorne, who was drafted by the Steelers in the fifth-round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Illinois last month, missed six games during his college career due to injuries. Heading into the 2012 season he was considered to be one of the top defensive players in the nation, but uneven play during the season combined with durability concerns considerably dropped his draft stock.
At this point, it looks more than likely that Hawthorne will at least miss all of the remaining OTA sessions and quite possibly the mandatory mini camp as well. We will have to see if Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addresses his status the next time that meets the media, which could be on Thursday after the final OTA practice of the week takes place.
