An expected business move on the football side of the house in Pittsburgh occurred Wednesday afternoon.
The Steelers placed linebacker Ryan Shazier on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, which effectively ended Shazier's chances to play 2018, the team announced. He will not count against the team's 90-man offseason roster.
Shazier, 25, suffered a spinal injury against the Bengals in Week 13, and then underwent spinal stabilization surgery on Dec. 6.
Shazier also provided one of the top emotional moments during the opening night of 2018 NFL Draft when he walked across the stage holding the hand of his fiancée, Michelle, to announce the Steelers' first-round pick on Virginia Tech safety Terrell Edmunds.
"That's a huge lift, for not only him, but for us," Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told the team's official website. "To see where he's come from to where he is and knowing where he might be able to go, it's beyond inspirational. It's just exciting. It's really exciting for him."
Shazier, who joined the Steelers as a first-round pick (15th overall) out of Ohio State, has appeared in 46 career games with 41 starts, totaling 299 tackles (202 solo), seven sacks, seven interceptions, 25 passes defensed and seven forced fumbles.
