Steelers coach gets update after getting blasted by Packers player on sideline
Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith took a hard hit on the sidelines against the Packers, and he picked up a pretty serious injury
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked up another big win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 10, but for one of their coaches, the win may have come at a price. Late in the game, special teams coordinator Danny Smith took a hard fall after Damontae Kazee was pushed into him by Packers offensive lineman Zach Tom on a hit near the sideline.
The hit caused a lot of pushing and shoving between the two teams, but lost in the madness was the status of Smith, who Kazee inadvertently laid out with a massive hit. Initially, it looked like Smith was doing just fine, as he was at practice on Wednesday with his usual high-energy attitude, and it seemed like he’d avoided any sort of serious injury as a result of the hit.
“Smith was back at practice Wednesday looking no worse for the wear after that big hit on the sideline from safety Damontae Kazee, whose momentum was propelled by a late hit by Packers right tackle Zach Tom. If anything, while it initially looked as if Smith might be in concussion protocol this week, it seems as if that sideline action may have actually gotten his juices flowing a bit more than usual…I’m not sure if Smith had any minor bumps and bruises associated with the play — or, you know, coaching — but Thursday is generally when coordinators meet with the media, so perhaps we’ll hear from him.” – Brian Batko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It seemed like Smith had managed to avoid any sort of serious injury, but that didn’t end up being the case. When Smith spoke to reporters on Thursday, he revealed that he tore his rotator cuff in the shoulder he landed on as a result of the fall. So it appears that the team and their players really undersold how bad his injury was.
The fact that Smith was back for practice on Wednesday made it seem like he was fine, but it turns out he picked up quite an injury as a result of his hit. Smith will undergo surgery eventually, but thankfully, it seems like he’s doing well, even with this pretty serious injury. With a big game coming up against the Cleveland Browns, though, Smith is going to work on shifting the focus from himself onto the Steelers and finding a way to pick up a win over their divisional rival.
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