Pittsburgh Steelers’ RB Rashard Mendenhall recovering from ACL can miss 2012 season-NFL News
There might be no games to play for Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back, Rashard Mendenhall, in the 2012 National Football League (NFL) season, following confirmation of earlier expressed doubts about his recovery from a knee injury for a year at least.
A local newspaper in Pittsburgh has reported that the player will not recover and be fit until 2013, which makes him unavailable for the entire 2012 season.
Similar doubts had earlier been expressed by the general manager, Kevin Colbert, who said the player’s injury, which was diagnosed to be torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which will take approximately a year to heel and rehabilitate.
Now with the latest confirmation, the player is expected to be left on the injury list with the start of the regular season in September this year.
He is certainly not going to make it to all the pre-season activity.
Mendenhall was injured in Steelers’ game against the Cleveland Browns into week 14th of the past regular season and since then he is out of the side and in the recovery phase.
Some reports that emerged soon after the injury had not disclosed the serious nature of the injury, but later scan results showed it was ACL and thus, the player requires a longer period of time to be fully fit.
Even though Pittsburgh Steelers have been consistent with the stance that the running back will not be able to play any game or practice with the team this season, there is no independent opinion on it.
The claim has not been confirmed by the player or his agent, and other people who are privy to his process of recovery and rehabilitation, have not spoken anything about it either.
So the situation around the uncertainty of Mendenhall’s ability to play this season is not going to get clear until the player or his doctor comes out with some explanation.
However, a statement from either of them can be expected before the start of the regular season.
Until then it is just one-sided confirmation that he is definitely out of the side for another season, after missing about four games of the past regular season and wild card round.
Meanwhile, Steelers have started weighing their options for his replacement.
First option is that they bring back the free agent running back, Mewelde Moore, off the free agency.
There is no word from any of the team’s officials if they are moving forward with the plan of signing Moore.
Another option for Steelers is that they can place Isaac Redman at the depth position.
However, this too remains unconfirmed.
Despite talks around the recovery and rehabilitation of the player continue, none of the reports have disclosed the current status of his health and the timeline for his full rehabilitation.
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