Steelers LB Suffers Knee Injury

The Pittsburgh Steelers lose a linebacker during training camp practice.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker David Perales / Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers defense lost a competing member of their linebacker group after second-year edge rusher David Perales was carted to the locker room with what appeared to be a knee injury.

Perales went down early during practice, holding his knee while rolling around following a run on the goal line. He then stood up and limped to the sideline where he was evaluated by trainers. Shortly after, he was carted to the locker room for further evaluation.

Perales came into training camp with an opportunity to make the 53-man roster. After spending most of last season on the practice squad, the undrafted free agent out of Fresno State came back to Latrobe with an open roster spot and his eyes on cracking his first 53-man team.

The Steelers will wait for further evaluation from the medical staff before knowing what to do with Perales. If it's not an injury that could keep him out long-term, the Steelers may choose to keep him around and allow him to return and compete later in training camp. If he won't have a shot at returning before Week 1, they may waive/injure him.

Perales and Jeremiah Moon were the front-runners for the team's fourth outside linebacker job. Both would need to prove themselves on special teams if they had any hopes of making the team, but through a week and change of practices, both were impressive.

Without Perales, the Steelers are down to Moon, Nick Herbig, Jacob Windmon and Kyron Johnson as their depth pieces at outside linebacker behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. The amount of depth on the team should provide some gap for Perales to return, and Pittsburgh will likely know more information as the week progresses and Perales continues to nurse whatever his injury is.

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