Rashard Mendenhall‘s season ended when he tore his ACL Week 17 against the Browns, and the injury could mark the end of his career with Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the Steelers do not expect Mendenhall to be of much use to them this year. The team’s GM is not expecting him to return to form until at least the 2013 season. Mendenhall’s contract expires after next season so he could leave the team as a free agent.
The Post-Gazette does not expect the team to bring back Mewelde Moore, so Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, John Clay, and Barron Batch are their remaining running backs. It seems pretty clear that the team will take a running back in the draft.
The Steelers have moved from a run-first offense to a pass-first team in the last two years, but that doesn’t mean having a playmaker at that position isn’t a priority, especially if they lose game-breaking receiver Mike Wallace. Redman is a capable back, but not a game-breaker. I would be extremely surprised if they didn’t take a running back at some point in the draft.
H/T Evan Silva
