Ryan Shazier injury: What happened to the Steelers LB and how’s his recovery going

Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier suffered a spinal injury in December 2017 and has been making slow progress in a quest that stretches far beyond the gridiron.

Shazier has made numerous public appearances since his injury; arguably his most powerful came during the 2018 NFL Draft, when he walked onto the stage with some help from his then-fiancee, Michelle. Shazier did not play in 2018 or 2019 and has now officially retired from the NFL.

Ryan Shazier made it official on Wednesday by announcing his retirement from the NFL in this video:

Shortly before the start of the 2020 league year, the Steelers announced that Shazier has retired from the NFL and been placed on the Reserve/Retired List. This move will allow for “his continued inclusion within our organization,” according to the team’s general manager, Kevin Colbert.

Although Shazier won’t play again this year, he is still part of the Steelers — and even snagged a few balls in warmups before a preseason game:

The Professional Football Writers of America announced that Shazier was chosen as the 2019 George Halas Award recipient. The award is given annually to an NFL figure who has overcome adversity.

May 3, 2019

Shazier married his longtime partner, Michelle, in downtown Pittsburgh. Current and former Steelers teammates, along with a couple celebrities, were guests at the wedding to celebrate the couple.

“The first boxes were a lot lower than that,” Shazier’s father, Vernon, told ESPN. “It all began with just trying to jump — no box. It slowly graduated to what you see in that video.”

March 12, 2019

Shazier’s contract was set to expire after the 2018 season, but because he was sidelined the entire year the Steelers have the option to toll his contract over another year. The team announced it planned to do exactly that — ensuring Shazier can continue to get paid by the league, accrue years toward a pension, and receive NFL medical insurance.

The Steelers also announced that Shazier will eventually be placed on the PUP list and won’t play for the team in 2019.

“We will continue to support Ryan’s efforts to return to play,” said General Manager Kevin Colbert. “Although he won’t be able to help us on the field in 2019, his leadership, insight, and emotional support have always been very valuable to us, and we look forward to his contributions in our pursuit of a championship.”

Jan. 16, 2019

Following the Steelers’ 2018 season, Art Rooney II gave an update about Shazier’s status with the team. Shazier is set to be a free agent in March.

“Ryan, I believe, still intends to continue to rehab with the intention of trying to come back and play, and so to the extent that he wants to do that, we’re open to working that out,” Rooney said. “There are some technicalities about somebody going from staff to player. So, at this point as I said, I think his goal is to continue to be a player, and so we’ll have to address it as time goes on and figure out how that works. He would have to have a contract.”

One possibility is that the Steelers sign him to a one-year contract at the league minimum.