The Steelers secondary, beaten up and beaten often over the past several years, took another blow with the news that cornerback Senquez Golson may miss extended time with a severe foot injury.
Golson, the team's second-round draft choice from Mississippi in 2015 who missed all of his rookie season after shoulder surgery, has a Lisfranc foot injury and could be out nearly four months, a source told the Post-Gazette. He was injured in practice at Saint Vincent College Monday, the fourth practice of training camp and the second in pads. Golson was carted off the field and threw his helmet in frustration after he was injured.
Mike Tomlin called it a mid-foot sprain right after practice Monday. A spokesman said the team would not provide updated injury news until after practice Wednesday.
The NFL Network initially reported the extent of the injury and said Golson could be out for 12 weeks. But when former Steelers tight end Matt Spaeth had a Lisfranc injury in 2013, he was out four months before he was healthy enough to play.
Ben Roethlisberger had a scare last season when the Steelers feared he sustained a Lisfranc injury to his left foot during a game against Oakland. The injury, however, was a less-serious sprain and despite reports that he would miss several weeks, Roethlisberger started the following game against Cleveland.
If the severity of Golson's injury is true, it removes one of the young players the Steelers hoped would help improve a secondary that was part of the NFL's third-worst defense in passing yards allowed last season. Golson was practicing as the slot cornerback in their first-team nickel defense this summer.
Rookie safety Sean Davis, himself a second-round pick, replaced Golson at that position after he was hurt. The Steelers also drafted cornerback Artie Burns in the first round this year.
Golson's injury is the latest in a line of misfortune and miscalculation in the Steelers' attempts to improve a secondary that has had no Pro Bowl cornerback in 20 years, since Rod Woodson made it for the 1996 season.
The Steelers tried to beef it up last season by drafting Golson, cornerback Doran Grant (fourth round) and safety Gerod Holiman (seventh round) but cut Grant and Holiman. Grant eventually returned and is on their 90-man roster. They traded for cornerback Brandon Boykin last summer, played him sparingly and let him leave as a free agent. They also signed Ross Cockrell after Buffalo cut him and he eventually started seven games.
The club cut cornerback Cortez Allen early this year after he proved unworthy of the five-year, $26 million contract he signed in the summer of 2014. This, after young starter Keenan Lewis fled to New Orleans as a free agent in 2013 and third-round 2011 pick Curtis Brown was a bust.
As with most sprains, there are degrees of severity with a Lisfranc. If it were to require surgery, it likely would knock a player out for the entire season.
"For less severe injuries the athlete can be expected to return to play in about eight to 10 weeks," said Dr. Luga Podesta, director of sports medicine at St. Charles orthopedics of Port Jefferson, N.Y.
"However, if surgery is indicated, return to play will be significantly longer, extended out for several months depending on the healing process and the athletes overall condition when allowed to return back to weight-bearing activity."
The Steelers could place Golson on injured reserve and later decide if they want to make him the one player each team is permitted to activate from that list each season.
Golson has yet to appear in any type of game with the Steelers. He appeared in just a couple of sessions during OTAs because of a hamstring injury.
