Injuries in exhibition games are always brutal. But year-ending injuries in the opening exhibition game of the season are downright devastating.
That’s the fate that Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham suffered on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL’s annual Hall of Fame game.
According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the veteran sustained a torn ACL in the meaningless contest, ending his 2015 campaign before it had even begun:
Shaun Suisham will have surgery on his left knee this week and the Steelers will go shopping for another kicker.
Suisham has a torn anterior cruciate ligament and cartilage damage, and the team will almost surely place him on injured reserve, ending his season. The 10-year veteran was injured on the opening kickoff of the second half Sunday night’s first preseason game in Canton, Ohio.
Suisham (No. 6) was apparently injured making a tackle on the play.
Here is the Suisham injury #Steelers pic.twitter.com/ZgiOBPt9gm
— Steelers Depot (@Steelersdepot) August 10, 2015
The 34-year-old Suisham had been a model of consistency for the Steelers the last five seasons, connecting on 124 of 141 field goal attempts (87.9%) since his arrival in Pittsburgh in 2010. With no other placekickers currently on their roster, the Steelers will have to scramble to sign one with the NFL season just weeks away. Among the names Bouchette reports that the team could possibly target are Billy Cundiff, Shayne Graham, and Jay Feeley.
You always hate to see a serious injury like that, especially in such inconsequential circumstances. To make matters worse, the Steelers lost to the Vikings, 14-3. Ugh. Here’s wishing Suisham a speedy recovery.
Maybe NFL kickers are better off leaving the tackling to Pat McAfee.
H/T theScore
Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
