Steelers Injury Report: “Gravedigger” leaves game with a concussion

The Pittsburgh Steelers are now 2-0 in the preseason, and after their 17-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons, there were some players who left the game with some bumps and bruises. Mike Tomlin diagnosed those injuries in his post-game press conference.

Here is the run down:

• Nose tackle Javon Hargrave left the game and was evaluated for a concussion. It wasn’t long after the evaluation when the Steelers organization notified fans Hargrave has indeed suffered a concussion. Tomlin stated he has now entered the NFL’s concussion protocol, and will not be permitted to return to the practice field until all proper procedures have been cleared.
• Inside linebacker Steven Johnson also exited the game with a hamstring injury. Johnson, whose 2016 season was ended early due to a broken ankle, is battling L.J. Fort for the primary backup at inside linebacker, and could be missing some key time if this hamstring injury lingers.
• Cornerback Greg Ducre suffered an ankle injury on the same play where he helped pin the Falcons deep into their own end by downing a punt inside the Atlanta 5-yard line. When a player like Ducre, who already has an uphill climb ahead of him, it could end up being the end of the road for that player, at least until healthy.

The Steelers didn’t suffer any obvious long-term injuries, and that is a good thing, but the list of players who have been out almost all of training camp is a long one. Ryan Shazier, Mike Mitchell, Bud Dupree, Maurkice Pouncey, Cameron Sutton and Senquez Golson need to get back on the field, hopefully for the third preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.