Steelers Sign RB Stevan Ridley
Stevan Ridley‘s jersey collection continues to grow. On Tuesday, the Steelers announced that they have signed the running back. He’ll replace fellow RB James Conner, who is headed to IR after undergoing knee surgery.
Ridley’s best football came during his four-year run with the Patriots, particularly in 2012. In that campaign, he totaled more than 1,200 rushing yards as well as 12 rushing touchdowns. Unfortunately, injuries have altered the course of his once-promising career. Since parting ways with the Pats, he’s been employed by the Jets, Lions, Colts, Falcons, Broncos, and Vikings. He has not been able to replicate that ’12 stat line at any of those stops. With Pittsburgh, he’ll be asked to serve as the third tailback behind starter Le’Veon Bell and Fitzgerald Toussaint, the team’s de facto No. 2 RB.
Conner, a third-round pick of the Steelers in 2017, was one of the most inspirational stories to come out of this year’s draft. The Pennsylvania native and Pitt product bounced back from a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis (not to mention a torn MCL) in 2015 to conclude his college career with a vengeance in 2016. A cancer-free Conner turned in his second thousand-yard campaign with the Panthers (1,092, on 5.1 yards per carry) and combined for 20 touchdowns (16 rushing, four receiving). This year, he became Bell’s primary understudy. His season ends with 32 catches for 144 yards.
James Conner Needs Knee Surgery
- With the Steelers losing to the Patriots and thus unable to clinch home-field advantage in Week 16, the Browns‘ final realistic chance to avoid becoming the second 0-16 team ever could hinge on Sunday’s game in Chicago. And Hue Jackson will stick with his current quarterback for that Bears tilt. DeShone Kizer will make his 14th start of the season. This comes after Jackson admitted he considered benching the rookie after yet another shaky performance. Monday, though, Jackson said (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com) the Notre Dame product was “up to the challenge” of starting another game. The Browns, who face the Steelers in Pittsburgh in Week 17, are now 1-29 in Jackson’s 30 games. Kizer boasts a 59.4 quarterback rating and a 24.5 QBR.
- Now just one game ahead of the Jaguars (and their head-to-head tiebreaker) for the AFC’s No. 2 seed, the Steelers will have to reshuffle their running back corps for the time being. Le’Veon Bell will need a new backup for the time being after Mike Garafolo of NFL.com revealed (on Twitter) James Conner will need knee surgery. Garafolo reports the rookie will likely need a few weeks to recover from this. Like Antonio Brown‘s regular-season-ending calf injury, Conner’s setback adds additional incentive for the Steelers to secure a bye by winning their final two games. Pittsburgh has veteran Fitzgerald Toussaint as the only other halfback on its roster.
Antonio Brown Partially Tears Calf, Expected Back For The Playoffs
The Steelers suffered a serious injury scare in their stunning defeat at the hands of the Patriots. The league’s best receiver Antonio Brown exited the game in the second quarter and got tests taken at a nearby hospital. Now the team has learned that the 29-year-old has partially torn his calf muscle and is expected to miss at least one week of game action, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, Schefter adds that Brown is likely to be back with the Steelers for the postseason.
This is great news for a Steelers team that relies on Brown for much of their offensive production. Brown has been performing like a legitimate MVP candidate in 2017, but seemed to have suffered a serious injury when he left today’s game vs. New England. However, while Brown may be unable to finish the regular season, their star playmaker is expected back for postseason football, which puts the Steelers in a much better position moving forward.
Although, the injury could increase the urgency for the first round bye. After dropping today’s game, the Steelers are now in serious danger of losing their top two spot, especially knowing that the Jaguars own the tiebreaker head-to-head.
Head coach Mike Tomlin will have to rely on the team’s other young wideouts, Martavis Bryant and JuJu Smith-Schuster, to help offset the loss. You can also expect Le’Veon Bell to shoulder even more of the load in the passing game than he already does. Pittsburgh has two favorable matchups to end the season as the team is set to play Houston and Cleveland in Weeks 16 and 17, respectively.
Steelers' Haden To Return Soon
- Steelers cornerback Joe Haden will practice this week after missing a month with a broken leg, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Before the injury, Haden was on the field for almost every Pittsburgh defensive snap. Haden still ranks as the No. 32 cornerback in the league among 117 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Steelers Formally Place Ryan Shazier On IR
The Steelers announced that they have placed Ryan Shazier on the reserve/injured list. This was the expected move after Shazier suffered a serious spinal injury earlier this month. 
Shazier recently underwent spinal stabilization surgery. He’s currently focused on his overall recovery and it will be a while before we get a read on his football future.
“Unfortunately Ryan will not be able to contribute on the field during the remainder of this season,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II. “However, even off the field Ryan will continue to be one of our team leaders. We know his spirit and positive outlook will help him to continue in his recovery, as well as serve as an inspiration to our team.”
Shazier, 25, has been a staple of the Steelers’ defense since being drafted as a first-round pick in 2014. Last year, the linebacker earned his first ever Pro Bowl nod. This year (prior to his injury) he set a new career high with 89 tackles.
We here at PFR wish Shazier the best in his recovery.
Latest On Ryan Shazier
Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier underwent spinal stabilization surgery Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Shazier continues to show gradual improvement, though he remains hospitalized. Per Schefter, doctors are controlling and limiting Shazier’s movement as they wait for the swelling and bruising in his back to subside, and it is of course too soon to determine if he will be able to play again. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports adds that Shazier is expected to remain in the hospital for a few more days, but that his prognosis is “optimistic.”
James Harrison Regrets Steelers Signing
James Harrison sounds like he’s regretting his offseason decision to re-sign with the Steelers. The 39-year-old edge defender told NBC’s Michele Tafoya he would have signed elsewhere had he known he was going to receive this level of playing time (Twitter link). Harrison’s been active for just four Steelers games and has played just 29 snaps. While the Steelers viewed him as a bullpen-type weapon this offseason, those plans either haven’t come to fruition or are part of a long-game solution by the Super Bowl-contending team. He delivered standout football as a full-timer last season, and Pro Football Focus has not viewed Bud Dupree‘s work highly this season. But it hasn’t been enough to get Harrison on the field. Harrison signed a two-year deal to stay in Pittsburgh in March; the Steelers can save $1.3MM by cutting him after the season. While Harrison could look elsewhere if he wants to continue his career, he’ll turn 40 in May and did not fare well the only other time he left Pittsburgh, having retired from the 2013 Bengals.
Latest On Ryan Shazier’s Condition
Ryan Shazier was stable enough to return to Pittsburgh after spending multiple nights in Cincinnati, but the frightening injury the linebacker suffered required spinal surgery.
Shazier underwent spinal stabilization surgery on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, the Steelers announced (on Twitter). Recovery timetables are difficult to pin down at this point.
The 25-year-old player will face a months-long recovery process, sources informed Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), adding he’s going to miss the rest of this season. In speaking to a spinal doctor, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes the best-case scenario for a Shazier recovery ranges from six weeks to three months.
“This is a surgery on your spine,” said Brock Bowman, medical director at the Spinal Cord Injury Center at Shepherd Center in Atlanta (via Bouchette). “And if something is altered, even if there was no injury to the spinal cord, that may be enough to take you out of the 1 percent of the 1 percent of the 1 percent who play professional football.”
Bouchette notes it’s difficult to make a projection at this juncture because there aren’t enough details known.
“I’m not worried about him playing for us again; I’m more worried about him,” Steelers DC Keith Butler said Thursday, via Bouchette. “The thing that we’re hopeful for and prayerful for is that he comes back and he’ll be OK. The football stuff is secondary. His life is a lot more important to me than football.”
As for Pittsburgh’s linebacker outlook, the team is moving veteran outside linebacker Arthur Moats inside in this emergency circumstance, the AP reports. The Bills shuttled Moats from outside to inside linebacker during his time in Buffalo, but since relocating to Pittsburgh, Moats has played exclusively on the edge. The 29-year-old Moats has worked as a backup this season but started 24 Steelers games from 2014-16. Pittsburgh also re-signed inside linebacker Sean Spence earlier this week.
Steelers Sign LB Sean Spence
Linebacker Sean Spence is back in Pittsburgh, as the Steelers have agreed to a deal with the veteran defender, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link).
The Steelers are in need of linebacker help after witnessing Ryan Shazier go down with a terrifying neck/back injury against the Bengals on Monday night. Details on Shazier’s status are slim, but the Steelers have released a pair of statements today, indicating that while Shazier has improved, he will stay in a Cincinnati hospital for the next 24-48 hours. Shazier has remained “upbeat and positive” and has communicated with teammates, tweets Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com in a bit of good news.
Shazier’s health and well-being are obviously the most pressing issue at present, but the Steelers also have to account for his loss on their No. 5 DVOA-ranked defense. Spence should be familiar with the Pittsburgh scheme, as he spent four seasons with the club earlier in his career. He’s bounced around the AFC South for the past season-plus, playing for both the Titans and Colts (mostly as a reserve).
NFL Suspends Steelers’ Smith-Schuster, Bengals’ Iloka
Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and Bengals safety George Iloka have each been suspended one game for violations of safety-related playing rules on Monday night. The league announced the suspensions in a press release on Tuesday, and has already denied an appeal by Smith-Schuster. 
In his letter to Smith-Schuster notifying him of the suspension, NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan slammed his unsportsmanlike conduct in his illegal hit on Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Runyan also noted of Smith-Schuster’s taunting:
“You are suspended for the dangerous and unsportsmanlike acts you committed during the fourth quarter of last night’s game. Specifically, with 7:10 remaining, on a passing play to a running back, you lined up a defender and delivered a violent and unnecessary blindside shot to his head and neck area. You then “celebrated” the play by standing over him and taunting him. The contact you made with your opponent placed the opposing player at risk of serious injury and could have been avoided. Your conduct following the hit fell far below the high standards of sportsmanship expected of an NFL player.”
Smith-Schuster is appealing his one-game suspension, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Per the collective bargaining agreement, his appeal will be heard by either Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks or former NFL receiver James Thrash.
Meanwhile, Iloka will serve a one-game ban for his helmet to helmet hit on Antonio Brown with 3:55 left in the game. He’ll miss Sunday’s game against the Bears while Smith-Schuster will be forced out of Sunday’s primetime matchup against the Ravens.