While nothing has been officially released, it's being reported by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and NFL Network among other sources that Ryan Shazier has suffered a spinal cord concussion.
Shazier reportedly told Vince Williams as he was being carted off the field that he had feeling in his arms and legs.
As for the spinal cord concussion, I'll let the Cleveland Clinic explain it as they're one of the best in the world when it comes to spinal injuries.
"Less attention is paid to concussion to the spinal cord — known medically as cervical cord neurapraxia (CCN) — even though CCN has been recognized as a threat of particular concern among football players for over 25 years.
Most cases of CCN occur on the football field and result from severe head collisions where a player’s neck is either compressed or bent far backward or forward with great force. Players in positions that involve high-speed collisions and open-field tackling, like free safety, are most commonly affected.
CCN involves a transient injury to the spinal cord that causes brief disturbance of sensation and/or the ability to move. Symptoms can include numbness and tingling in the hands or feet as well as weakness or even brief complete paralysis. Affected areas can range from a single arm or leg to all four limbs. Episodes last less than 24 hours and often for just a few seconds, after which the individual returns to how he was before the injury."
Former Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox suffered the same type of injury back in 2002. Maddox only missed one game, before returning to lead the Steelers to the playoffs.
They will be able to tell more once the swelling goes down, hopefully by tomorrow. Then it will be touch and go from that point forward. Hopefully the Steelers will give us an official update tomorrow.
