UPDATE: Heyward has returned to the game.
Things went from bad to worse for the Pittsburgh Steelers after the Kansas City Chiefs extended their lead to 29-10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers early in the fourth quarter, as DL Cameron Heyward remained down after the play with an injury. Heyward was treated on the field by trainers, and he seemed to grab for his ankle or knee.
Heyward was up and walking up off the field slowly, per Steelers.com Dale Lolley on Twitter.
Heyward missed time last season with a core muscle injury and losing him at this point in the season would be devastating for the Steelers. The Steelers have just one regular-season game left after today, in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 5. Heyward has been playing at an All-Pro level this season and losing him would be a huge blow to their defense.
Hopefully, the injury isn’t serious, and per Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Heyward exited the blue medical tent and seemed to be walking “ok” on his own as he went to the bench.
It’s a good sign that Heyward didn’t go to directly to the locker room from the medical tent. We’ll likely hear more from Mike Tomlin after the game on Heyward’s status, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Heyward didn’t return to the game with things out of hand. The Steelers will need to have him back going forward for the postseason and potentially for their hopes to clinch the division in Week 18, although that depends on what happens in the Baltimore Ravens’ game later today.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
