2015 was an unfortunate season for Pittsburgh Steelers veteran kicker Shaun Suisham as he was forced to spend the entire year on the team’s Reserve/Injured list because of a torn ACL that he suffered during the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Oh. On Saturday, Suisham was a guest on SiriusXM NFL Radio and he let it be known once again that the poor condition of the field at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in that preseason game certainly played a big part in him tearing up his knee.
“Unfortunately, I ended up with an injured knee frankly because the quality of the turf,” said Suisham. “I planted my foot into the ground like a second before the returner came on me and I felt my knee rip and then I was just like a sitting duck and the guy ran into the side of my head. I hope I don’t have to play in the Hall of Fame game again.”
As far as his injured knee goes, Suisham said that even through he’s now six months removed from his surgery that he’s still yet to resume kicking.
“I’m working hard, but I’m not there yet,” said Suisham, who has been with the Steelers since 2010. “So the focus is to continue to work and get myself healthy where I can get to the point where I can start kicking again, and hopefully I can return to old form.”
Suisham certainly understands that his future with the Steelers is really up in the air right now being as they have found a much younger and cheaper kicker in Chris Boswell, who was signed during the fifty week of the regular season after veteran Josh Scobee was released because of his poor performances. While Suisham said he certainly rooted for Boswell over the course of the season, he’s not ready to give up his job with the Steelers without a fight.
“I was really proud of him,” said Suisham of Boswell. “In saying that, I’m not suggesting that I’m interested in conceding my position as kicker for the Steelers. I think I have a lot to offer and we’ll see how things play out. “It’s funny how things work out and this is not Chris’ fault at all, but it’s amazing how the weather this year seemed to be maybe the mildest winter on record in my lifetime and I think I would like it if the weather was like that next year.”
Suisham, who turned 34 in December, is currently under contract with the Steelers through the 2018 season. However, because he is scheduled to earn $2.4 million in 2016, he is a prime candidate to be released or traded prior to the start of the regular season if the cheaper Boswell remains healthy and consistent during training camp and the preseason.
