It took a while, but eventually defensive end Brett Keisel signed back for one more year with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Now it appears his final run has been cut short.
Keisel had to leave Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints and appeared to be in a great deal of pain on the sidelines.
While nothing was made official, word around the Steelers locker room is that Keisel is lost for the season with what is likely a torn tricep.
If that is the case it likely wouldn’t just end Keisel’s season, but likely at his age, his career as well.
“He’s being evaluated for a triceps injury,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “We will evaluate him and see about his availability. I will provide a further update on Tuesday.”
However the mood was much more somber regarding Keisel amongst his teammates as many feel they likely have lost one of the NFL’s classiest players for good.
“Leadership,” said cornerback William Gay. “He’s a guy you can look up to and is a guy who will fight to the bitter end. He gave it everything he had. We want to fight for all individuals, but especially a guy who represents the Steelers like Brett Keisel. It’s a tough loss but we have to keep fighting for him.”
Keisel, 36, has one sack with 17 combined tackles this season. However his presence alone means much more to the Steelers defense than the numbers he puts up.
We will provide more information on this story as details are made available.
Photo Credit: USA Today Sports
