Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeVeon Bell. Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
Six Pittsburgh Steelers players, including five starters, will need offseason surgeries, head coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday.
Two players — safety Mike Mitchell and punter Jordan Berry — will undergo shoulder surgery that will keep them out for four months. Both likely will miss offseason training activities and minicamp, but they should be ready for the start of training camp in late July.
Linebacker Ryan Shazier (knee), tight end Matt Spaeth (knee), guard David DeCastro (ankle) and offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert (ankle) will have minor procedures that will require rehabilitation for a few weeks.
Tomlin said that more serious injuries to center Maurkice Pouncey (fibula) running back Le’Veon Bell (torn MCL) and left tackle Kelvin Beachum (torn ACL) have progressed according to plan.
Running back DeAngelo Williams does not need surgery on the right foot injury that sidelined him for the two playoff games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger does not anticipate having offseason surgery on his injured shoulder.
Roethlisberger took painkilling injections in his right shoulder leading up to last Sunday’s AFC divisional playoff game against the Broncos, won 23-16 by Denver despite his 339 passing yards. He injured the shoulder the previous week during the Steelers’ 18-16 wild-card win over the Bengals.
“I’m disappointed. That’s just an honest answer,” Tomlin said Wednesday at his season-ending news conference. “I think we all are. We appreciate the support we get from others, the fight and all of that, but we go into the journey with the understanding, it’s going to be difficult, a fight is going to be required.
“When we said to be world champion is our goal, we meant it.”
