The Steelers placed Brett Keisel on injured reserve today, ending his season and, quite possibly, his career. Although Steelers Nation expected the news, it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.
- Midway through the loss to the Saints, Keisel came racing to the sidelines in pain, grabbing his arm.
If reports are correct, he attempted to re-enter the action, but Mike Tomlin wouldn’t allow it. First word was his return was doubtful. Then the Steelers ruled his return out. Now he might simply be done.
The Steelers drafted Keisel in the 7th round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He served a 3 year apprenticeship in John Mitchell’s bull pen, but emerged as a starter after Super Bowl XL and has been a mainstay since.
- In fact, one could almost argue that Keisel kept getting better as he got older.
Yes, his production was down in 2014, but he also entered the season without the benefit of training camp. His consistency was so good that one could argue he played well enough to keep the door open for a return in 2015, however doubtful the possibility might be.
For the record, Keisel only started in 4 games, but appeared in all 12 where he recorded 17 total tackles, 1 quarterback sack, 5 passes defensed, and one interception, which sparked the Steelers comeback win vs. Houston.
Clearly, Brett Keisel will be missed and regardless of whether they rally, the 2014 Steelers will be poorer for his absence.
