Steelers Place David DeCastro In The New IR

David DeCastro Put On New Injured Reserve List

The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed guard David DeCastro on injured reserve and have designated him for return, according to the Steelers' official Twitter account.

DeCastro suffered a torn MCL and dislocated kneecap in a preseason game against the Bills on Aug. 25 and was expected to miss 3-5 months. The new NFL IR rules state that a player out at least six weeks can be placed on IR and the designated for return list — meaning the player can return after eight weeks.

That means the Steelers hope DeCastro will be able to return at some point this season.

The rookie DeCastro was drafted by Pittsburgh with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft out of Stanford.

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David DeCastro Will Not Go On Injured Reserve, According To Report

Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive lineman David DeCastro will reportedly not go on the injured reserve following knee surgery. The The 6'5", 316-pound guard was injured during Saturday night's preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

Mark Kaboly, Steelers writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, tweeted that the first-round pick will miss the injured reserve list.

David DeCastro will not go on IR.

— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) August 27, 2012

Mark Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reported that DeCastro will have surgery this week to repair injuries that include "a torn MCL, a dislocated kneecap, and an injury to the patellar tendon." Florio reports that the rookie is "expected to miss three to five months."

NFL teams are required to cut down active rosters from 75 to 53 players by Friday.

The Steelers have one more preseason game, Thursday at home against the Carolina Panthers, before starting the regular season on Sunday, September 9 in Denver against the Broncos.

For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh for the latest news and updates on the team.

David DeCastro Out 3-5 Months, According To Report

The Pittsburgh Steelers received troubling news about their first-round pick from the 2012 NFL Draft, as offensive lineman David DeCastro is going to miss 3-5 months with a torn MCL and a dislocated kneecap, according to Pro Football Talk.

DeCastro suffered the injury during the team's preseason game with the Buffalo Bills Saturday when his right leg buckled backwards while he was engaged with a defender.

This is a huge blow to the team, which was depending on the NFL-ready prospect to help improve the Steelers' offensive line in 2012. The offensive line appears to be suspect yet again after the injury, as Pete Wilmoth of SB Nation Pittsburgh writes:

"Fellow rookie lineman Mike Adams does not appear ready to take on NFL-caliber pass rushers and is battling some (infinitely less severe) knee issues of his own, leaving Max Starks to protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's blind side at left tackle. Meanwhile, with and without DeCastro last night, the interior line struggled against the Bills' terrific front four."

Wilmoth says that fans should expect to see more quick passes that will keep from Roethlisberger relying on the line to allow plays to develop.

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David DeCastro Injury: FieldTurf To Blame?

Rookie offensive guard David DeCastro, the Pittsburgh Steelers' first-round draft choice in the 2012 NFL Draft, is likely going to miss his entire rookie season with injuries to his ACL and MCL sustained during last night's 38-7 preseason victory over Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Who is to blame for this injury? If you ask Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, he'd say the FieldTurf playing surface at Buffalo.

"It’s just FieldTurf — this is a great field, but FieldTurf is just killing guys because they can’t get their feet out of the ground." He added, "It’s just another reason we should get rid of FieldTurf."

While we will never be able to tell whether or not DeCastro's injury could have been avoided were Buffalo's field natural grass, the argument that FieldTurf causes lower body injuries is hardly a new one. Regardless, this injury is a significant blow to the Pittsburgh offensive line, which was likely to rely on the rookie heavily in the guard rotation.

For more Steelers coverage, visit Behind the Steel Curtain and SB Nation Pittsburgh.

David DeCastro Injury: Steelers RG 'Out For A While' With ACL, MCL

The Pittsburgh Steelers' first round NFL Draft pick, former Stanford guard David DeCastro, could be out for the season with injuries to his right ACL and MCL suffered during last night's 38-7 preseason win over the Buffalo Bills.

When asked about DeCastro's injury after the game's conclusion, Steelers' head coach Mike Tomlin said, "It's potentially severe. We'll see what the MRI says."

SB Nation's Pittsburgh Steelers community, Behind the Steel Curtain, reports that DeCastro could be out "for a while," per a source at NFL Network.

If the injury is as severe as Tomlin fears, DeCastro, who was regarded as one of the top guard prospects available in the 2012 NFL Draft, could miss his entire rookie season due to this injury. This would only extend Pittsburgh's ongoing bad luck streak with knee injuries, as halfback Rashard Mendenhall, offensive tackle Max Starks, and defensive lineman Casey Hampton have all suffered ACL injuries during the offseason or preseason.

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David DeCastro's Injury Could Be Serious

The Pittsburgh Steelers are holding their collective breath with regards to prized rookie David DeCastro.

The left guard was injured in the 1st quarter against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night and had to be taken off the field on a cart. On the play, DeCastro was defending against Marcell Dareus when he fell awkwardly and landed on top of his right leg.

After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin said the injury could be severe, according to Alan Robinson. Ben Roethlisberger did say that he's not sure about DeCastro's status, but his spirits are good.

If the Stanford product is out for an extended period of time, it could be a major blow to a Steelers offensive line that hasn't been solid in recent years.

The offense is already undergoing a lot of changes with first-year offensive coordinator Todd Haley's new scheme and Rashard Mendenhall recovering from a torn ACL. The loss of DeCastro would just compound those issues.

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David DeCastro Injury: Steelers Guard Carted Off

Steelers offensive lineman David DeCastro left Pittsburgh's game against the Bills with a knee injury. Just minutes after kickoff, DeCastro was carted off the field after what appeared to be at least a hyperextension, if not something more serious.

The play in which DeCastro was injured can be seen below:

DeCastro, the 6'-5" guard, was the Steelers' 24th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Stanford graduate played two full seasons for the Cardinal. After being named an All-American after his junior year, DeCastro entered the draft and was selected by Pittsburgh.

DeCastro was the first offensive guard taken in the first round by Pittsburgh since the 2002 draft, when the team selected Kendall Simmons. The 22-year old DeCastro played high-school football in Bellevue, Wash.

The Bills currently lead the Steelers 7-0 midway through the first quarter.

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