Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams was carted off the field last weekend with an ankle injury, and he is not expected to play against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the playoffs Saturday night.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Steelers consider Williams “out” vs. Cincinnati and are hoping he can return next round if they advance.
The #Steelers consider RB DeAngelo Williams (foot) out vs. #Bengals, sources say. If they win, there's a chance he plays next week.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 8, 2016
Obviously, that is not good news for Mike Tomlin’s team. Williams has turned out to be one of the best offseason acquisitions in the NFL. He rushed for 907 yards and added another 367 yards receiving this season after star running back Le’Veon Bell went down with a season-ending knee injury in November. Williams finished the year tied for the NFL lead with 11 rushing touchdowns.
Fitzgerald Touissant and Jordan Todman are the next men up for Pittsburgh. Touissant rushed for just 24 yards on 12 carries in a Week 17 win over the Cleveland Browns.
With the Steelers running game having taken a major hit, the team could be relying even more on a player who was recently called out by Ben Roethlisberger. Expect plenty of pass attempts from No. 7 in Cincinnati Saturday night.
