Pittsburgh Steelers Place Aaron Smith on IR, Defensive End Out With Torn Bicep

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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith, who just made an appearance on my BIGPLAY Radio NFL Podcast last week (BPR82), was placed on injured reserve today with (ouch) a torn bicep muscle suffered against the New England Patriots during a 34-13 loss this past Sunday.

It hurts me just thinking about it. He tried to play through the pain but had to be replaced several times. If there is any good news, it’s that the injury is not career-threatening. I felt really bad for Aaron because he’s been a big part of the Steelers (still) top-ranked defense and is an all-around good guy. In the Steeler scheme, Aaron doesn’t get a lot of glory because while he’s busy occupying offensive linemen, Steelers linebackers are getting pressure and sacks. Pittsburgh will sorely miss him as they position themselves for the AFC playoffs. Upon hearing the bad news, head coach Mike Tomlin said:

“Being the guy he is, he continued on. He came out a few times, and that was worrisome because this guy doesn’t come out of games ….. You’re saddened for Aaron because he’s a quality person and a quality player and he loves playing the game.”

Aaron will be replaced in the lineup by Nick Eason and Travis Kirschke. Plus, practice squad defensive lineman Ryan McBean was promoted to the 53-man roster. Actually, replace is not the right word. The Steelers will not replace Aaron Smith. They’ll simply do what any other team does in this situation — give the next player in-line an opportunity.