Steelers’ safety Polamalu has been ruled out for Sunday game

After missing all week’s practice with a left knee injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu has been ruled out for this Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.


Polamalu missed four of Steelers’ past five games because of a ligament tear and injured the same knee again on his first returning game: last Sunday’s 18-12 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. And it is very likely that he will miss more than one game after being injured again, but perhaps less than four because the latest injury to a different ligament seems less serious than the previous one.

Along with Polamalu, defensive end Travis Kirscheke has also been rule out of this Sunday’s game and it will be the third consecutive he will miss since tearing his left calf muscle. Originally filling in for Aaron Smith who is out for season with a torn right rotator cuff, Kirschke will be replaced by Nick Eason this Sunday. And Tyrone Carter will put on his Steelers jersey and start in replacing Polamalu.

Steelers safety Polamalu not likely to play Sunday

After being limited in practices on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu seemingly will not play against the Lions in Detroit on Sunday.


Since the five-time Pro Bowl player tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee on Sept. 10 while playing against the Tennessee Titans, he has not played any game by so far during the season. He has neither taken part in full practice since he returned to field on Wednesday. And usually a Steelers player returning from an injury must go through at least one full practice before playing a real game, so it was very unlikely Polamalu could play this Sunday in Detroit. But since he has been able to take limited part in practice, we may see the No. 43 Steelers jersey again in the game against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 18.

Another injured Steelers player, running back Willie Parker, was held out for the practices on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and has been ruled out for this Sunday’s game. Replacement Rashard Mendenhall, who ran 165 yards and two touchdowns in last Sunday’s 38-28 victory over the San Diego Chargers, may start again this Sunday against the Lions.

Steelers safety Polamalu considered LeBeau more deserving than Lombardi

The Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu considered the team’s defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau deserving to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame even more than Vince Lombardi.


“As a football player, a special teams coach, a position coach, a coordinator, a head coach, nobody has done it all like he has,” Polamalu said of LeBeau, who has spent most of his coaching career as an assistant. “He’s done everything but own a team. He’s more deserving than Vince Lombardi, if you’re talking to me.”

LeBeau and former Broncos star running back Floyd Little are the two senior finalists for the Hall of Fame. The former has been an NFL player and coach for 51 years, and Little finished his career with 6,323 yards of rushing, 43 touchdowns, 215 receptions for 2,418 yards, nine TDs, and ranking seventh in career rushing when he retired in 1975. LeBeau had 62 interceptions and started 171 games while he was a player playing for the Detroit Lions.

Lombardi was a legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1959 to 1967. He won five league championships during his nine years of career and the NFL championship trophy is named for him.