The Pittsburgh Steelers announced the release of kicker Shaun Suisham Friday morning.
The veteran kicker tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the Hall of Fame matchup against the Minnesota Vikings last preseason. He hoped to battle for the kicking spot with last year’s sensational replacement Chris Boswell.
Ray Fittipaldo of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted out the news:
The Steelers have released veteran kicker Shaun Suisham, five weeks before training camp. Gives him a chance to catch on with another team.
— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) June 24, 2016
Fittipaldo said that this move gives Suisham a chance to catch on with another team. This however could not be the case.
Just a few minutes after the release was live Suisham talked about the injury and how he had a major setback.
Shaun Suisham statement on his release provided to the Trib pic.twitter.com/4X5RRaOf3S
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) June 24, 2016
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert talked about the release.
Unfortunately Shaun incurred a setback in his recovery from knee surgery that won’t allow him to compete in a timely manner. Shaun has played a significant role in our success during his time in Pittsburgh. He has been the consummate professional on the field and in our community. We wish he and his family all the best in the future.
His release will free up around $2 million in cap space. Suisham was a fan favorite in Pittsburgh as he replaced long time kicker Jeff Reed during the 2010 Super Bowl run. Hopefully he can enjoy his family and get the ACL 100% healthy.
Thank you Suisham for all you have done!
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DrGeorge
June 24, 2016 at 12:12 pm
Sean Suisham was a class act on the field and in his parting statement to Steelers fans. We wish him well not only in his future career, but in regaining full use of his leg. It’s sad to see his career end on this note.
For many other teams, this would be a catastrophic loss. The Steelers, however, were fortunate to replace Suisham with Chris Boswell last season. He is another class act who seems destined to continue the tradition. Give GM Kevin Colbert credit for recognizing pro talent in signing both Suisham and Boswell.
Nathaniel Bodnar
June 24, 2016 at 12:19 pm
Perfect statement DrGeorge. Fans need to give K Colbert some more credit. He is a great GM. Wishing Suisham the best of luck in his future endeavors.