Steelers rule LB Ryan Shazier out for 2019 season

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Injured Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier will miss a second straight season while recovering from spinal surgery.

The team placed Shazier on the physically unable to perform list on Monday, allowing him more time to continue his rehabilitation from a lower spine injury suffered against Cincinnati in December 2017.

The 26-year-old Shazier, a two-time Pro Bowler, remains committed to playing in the NFL again. He has chronicled his physical progress over the last 18 months through various social media accounts and continues to be heavily involved in team activities, including scouting college players and serving as a de facto coach for the team’s inside linebackers.

The Steelers took a major step toward addressing Shazier’s absence in the offseason. They signed former Los Angeles Rams linebacker Mark Barron as a free agent in March and traded up in the first round of the NFL draft to select Michigan’s Devin Bush with the 10th overall pick.