LATROBE, Pa. -- Steelers running back Duce Staley underwent surgery Monday to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee.
Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher expects Staley to miss a month, but isn't worried about his health in the long run.
"He felt good about what took place when he came out," Cowher said. "We're hopeful to have him by the opening of the season."
Staley practiced only once with the team before fluid built up in his knee. He rested three days and tried to practice Saturday, but didn't feel comfortable and decided to have it examined. An MRI exam Sunday revealed the tear.
The injury thrusts Jerome Bettis back into the role of starter. He thrived in that position last year after Staley injured his hamstring Oct. 31 against New England.
Bettis rushed for more than 100 yards in six of the eight games he started and finished the season with 941 yards on 250 carries. He ranks fifth on the all-time rushing list with 13,294 yards and third in carries with 3,369.
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| Duce Staley (22) will likely hand the majority of the workload to veteran teammate Jerome Bettis. (AP) |
The 33-year-old Bettis admits to feeling his age.
"Now I've got to get rest, get to bed, get iced. I've got to do all those things, a lot of preventive things I never used to do," he said. "It's so funny because I used to see all the older guys get the ice after practice, and do this, and stretch all the time. I'd just fly into the training room, grab a toothpick or something and, boom, I'm gone."
Bettis will likely give way to younger runners Verron Haynes, Willie Parker and rookie seventh-round pick Noah Herron throughout most of the preseason.
Cowher wouldn't reveal his plans for a backfield rotation, but Haynes said he believes the solution's simple.
"You stick to what got us to where we needed to be last year," he said. "Jerome was the guy and I came in on third downs and when he needed a breather. I don't see that changing."
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