Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown posted five receptions for 70 yards during the Steelers' 29-23 loss to Denver in the AFC Wild Card Playoff on Sunday. Brown, who has made the playoffs during both of his season in the NFL, continued to be heavily targeted in the passing game and registered seven looks from QB Ben Roethlisberger. Sunday's outing was the fourth time in his last five games he finished with at least five catches.

In preparation for the new league year, the Steelers terminated the contracts of CB Bryant McFadden and WR Arnaz Battle and waived TE Miguel Chavis and LB Erik Clanton. The team did sign CB Myron Rolle, WR Juamorris Stewart and LB Brandon Hicks.

Speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Rashard Mendenhall suffered a torn ACL in Week 17 and will miss the rest of the postseason. he has been placed on injured reserve. Isaac Redman will be the primary rusher and starter for the Steelers in the playoffs. "We got it looked at and confirmed yesterday," Tomlin said. "We expect Rashard to attack that like he attacks everything else. We expect him to bounce back from it."

Knee - IR. Out for the season. Questionable for start of 2012 training camp

Pittsburgh LB James Farrior continues to battle a myriad of issues this year, the latest being a thumb injury. He was active for Thursday's contest with the Browns.

The Steelers released 21 players on Friday, reducing their roster to 58 players. The 21 players released included linebackers Baraka Atkins, Mario Harvey, Chris McCoy and Mortty Ivy, defensive lineman Corbin Bryant, defensive backs Brett Greenwood, Macho Harris, Donovan Warren and Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, running backs James Johnson and John Clay, offensive linemen Colin Miller, Kyle Jolly, John Malecki, Trevis Turner and Keith Williams, wide receivers Armand Robinson, Wes Lyons and Tyler Grisham, tight end Jamie McCoy and kicker Swayze Waters.

Steelers LB James Harrison notches his ninth sack of the season in Week 16 against the Rams. Harrison finished with four tackles -- all solo -- in the 27-0 contest. He now has 56 tackles on the season.

Steelers TE David Johnson caught both passes thrown his way in Week 14 against the Browns. He trucked over defenders as he gained 22 yards on his two grabs. Johnson totaled more yards than Heath Miller and Hines Ward combined in the game. Pittsburgh would go on to win, 14-3, over Cleveland.

The Steelers announced on Wednesday that they signed rookie DB Cortez Allen to a contract. The terms of the deal were not announced.

Shoulder - Missed Wild Card game at Denver

At one point in time, TE Weslye Saunders was talked about as a potential first-round draft pick, but ultimately, a foot injury and a troubled reputation caused him to go unselected in 2010. He landed in Pittsburgh and started six of 16 games this season, catching four passes for 29 yards and a touchdown. Now, he’s apparently landed in more trouble, as Scout.com is reporting that Saunders has been suspended for the first four games of 2012. At this point, it’s unclear why Saunders has been suspended, but he’s had character concerns going back to his days at the University of South Carolina. During his senior year, he was suspended before the season began and then was kicked off the squad completely in mid-September 2010.

In preparation for the new league year, the Steelers terminated the contracts of CB Bryant McFadden and WR Arnaz Battle and waived TE Miguel Chavis and LB Erik Clanton. The team did sign CB Myron Rolle, WR Juamorris Stewart and LB Brandon Hicks.

The Steelers signed RB Chad Spann to take the place of LB Chris Carter, who was placed on injured reserve

Hamstring - IR. Out for the season

With NT Chris Hoke (neck surgery) and RB Jonathan Dwyer (foot) sidelined indefinitely, the Steelers made roster moves to provide able bodies on the roster for Thursday night’s game against Cleveland. Hoke and Dwyer were placed on injured reserve, and ILB Mortty Ivy and S Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith were activated from the practice squad.

The Steelers claimed DL Al Woods off waivers on Wednesday after he was released by the Seahawks on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh WR Mike Wallace finished with three receptions for 26 yards during the Steelers' 29-23 loss at Denver in the AFC Wild Card Playoff on Sunday. Wallace also rushed for a score from the 1-yard line on a nifty play during the third quarter to give Pittsburgh its first touchdown of the game. It was the first time he reached the end zone since Dec. 4 against Cincinnati when he hauled in two touchdown passes. Wallace posted a team-high 10 targets from QB Ben Roethlisberger in the game.

Notable players cut by the Packers on Saturday include: WR Diondre Borel, S Anthony Bratton, NT Chris Donaldson, LB Ricky Elmore, CB Josh Gordy, WR Tori Gurley, QB Graham Harrell, FB Jon Hoese, LB Cardia Jackson, DE Eli Joseph, LB Elijah Joseph, S Anthony Levine, RB Dimitri Nance, CB Brandian Ross, NT Jay Ross, RB Brandon Saine, WR Kerry Taylor, S/CB Brandon Underwood and WR Chastin West.

Steelers DL Ziggy Hood left Thursday's game versus the Browns with a groin injury. He had one solo tackle in the contest before leaving.

The Steelers placed QB Byron Leftwich on injured reserve on Friday. Leftwich suffered a broken arm in the Steelers’ third preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons and will miss the 2011 season.

Pittsburgh DB Ike Taylor notched a team-high seven tackles, including six solo stops, during the Steelers' 29-23 loss to Denver in the AFC Wild Card Playoff on Sunday. Taylor, however, failed to take down Demaryius Thomas during his game-winning 80-yard touchdown catch in overtime.

Pittsburgh RB Isaac Redman rushed for a game-high 121 yards on 17 carries during the Steelers' 29-23 loss to Denver in the AFC Wild Card Playoff on Sunday. Redman was inserted into the starting lineup in place of injured RB Rashard Mendenhall and posted a solid average of 7.1 yards per attempt. It was also the first time he has topped 100 yards in a game during his two-year career. He also had two receptions for 21 yards and nearly scored on one of several long runs.

Steelers LB Lawrence Timmons was all over the field in Week 16 against the Rams. Timmons finished with a team-high 11 tackles, eight solo, in the 27-0 victory. He also registered his first sack of the season and was credited with a pair of QB hits in the contest.

In preparation for the new league year, the Steelers terminated the contracts of CB Bryant McFadden and WR Arnaz Battle and waived TE Miguel Chavis and LB Erik Clanton. The team did sign CB Myron Rolle, WR Juamorris Stewart and LB Brandon Hicks.

The Steelers released 21 players on Friday, reducing their roster to 58 players. The 21 players released included linebackers Baraka Atkins, Mario Harvey, Chris McCoy and Mortty Ivy, defensive lineman Corbin Bryant, defensive backs Brett Greenwood, Macho Harris, Donovan Warren and Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, running backs James Johnson and John Clay, offensive linemen Colin Miller, Kyle Jolly, John Malecki, Trevis Turner and Keith Williams, wide receivers Armand Robinson, Wes Lyons and Tyler Grisham, tight end Jamie McCoy and kicker Swayze Waters.

Pittsburgh K Shaun Suisham was statistically solid on Sunday night during the AFC Wild Card game at Denver. Suisham didn't miss a field goal and connected on three of them with a long of 45 yards. He added 2 for 2 on PATs and finished the game with 11 points scored. Suisham, unfortunately, was playing for the losing team in the game as the Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs in the Broncos victory.

Pittsburgh QB Charlie Batch was able to lead to lead the Steelers to their 11th win of the season in Week 16 against the Rams. Batch, who was starting in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger, completed 15 of his 22 pass attempts for 208 yards in the 27-0 victory. He looked to throw a long touchdown reception to Mike Wallace in the fourth quarter, but the play was overturned by the replay booth. Batch completed a pass to seven different receivers in the win and finished with a QB rating of 79.4.

Pittsburgh nose tackle Chris Hoke announced his retirement Wednesday. He was placed on IR last season and had to undergo season-ending neck surgery on Dec. 14. He played in six games in 2011, starting twice while recording three tackles.

The Steelers signed TE Kevin Brock to their practice squad and released TE Dezmond Sherrod on Friday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers added LB Mortty Ivy from its practice squad on Saturday prior to the team's Week 8 matchup against New England. The Steelers released DL Corbin Bryant to clear a spot on the active roster.

Pittsburgh DB Ryan Clark will not be able to play on Sunday in the AFC Wild Card game at Denver. Clark has a sickle cell trait and cannot play football in the high altitude of Denver. In 2007, Clark lost his spleen, gall bladder and 30 pounds after playing football at a high altitude plus playing with the sickle-cell trait in Denver. Clark consulted a doctor recently, who helped make the decision for him not to play.

Steelers LB Jason Worilds notched his second and third sacks of the season in Week 14 while adding nine tackles (eight solo) in the Steelers' 14-3 victory over Cleveland. He also added a forced fumbled.

With NT Chris Hoke (neck surgery) and RB Jonathan Dwyer (foot) sidelined indefinitely, the Steelers made roster moves to provide able bodies on the roster for Thursday night’s game against Cleveland. Hoke and Dwyer were placed on injured reserve, and ILB Mortty Ivy and S Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith were activated from the practice squad.

Foot - IR. Out for the season

The Jaguars signed running back Fred Taylor to a one-day contract so he could retire as a Jaguar, which he did in a Friday morning ceremony. To make room, the team released RB Albert Young.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said Monday that DL Aaron Smith, placed on injured reserve Saturday, will undergo surgery soon. “He thought it was a function of playing,” Tomlin said. ”Once he hurt his ankle, he thought it would calm down, but it didn’t. [Doctors] evaluated it and looked at it and determined that it needs to be fixed.”

Foot - IR. Out for the season

Steelers DL Cameron Heyward recorded the first sack of his career Week 5 against the Titans. He also forced a fumble on the play. The rookie finished with two tackles, both solo.

Pittsburgh TE Heath Miller tallied five receptions for 60 yards during the Steelers' 29-23 loss to Denver in the AFC Wild Card Playoff on Sunday. Miller started hot with 41 yards on his first two catches of the game, but was limited during the rest of the outing. However, he was able to top 60 yards in a playoff game for the fourth time in his seven-year career. Miller finished with seven targets from QB Ben Roethlisberger in the contest.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Steelers NT Casey Hampton said he will have surgery Friday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, an injury he sustained in the season-ending playoff loss in Denver. It will be the third time Hampton has had ACL surgery, two of which came during his Steelers career. It is the second time he has had the surgery on his left knee.

Knee - Probable for start of 2012 training camp

Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley has been ruled inactive for Week 16 against the Rams due to a hamstring injury. Woodley was limited in practice all week due to his injury.

The Pittsburgh Steelers say wide receiver Limas Sweed and long snapper Greg Warren will miss the rest of the season. Sweed, a former second-round draft pick, is on the reserve non-football illness list. Warren, a fifth-year pro, has been placed on the reserve/injured list. He injured his right knee after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament on the final play of Sunday's game against Green Bay. The team said Monday that it will add two players to its 53-man roster before Sunday's regular-season home finale against Baltimore.

Steelers DB Ryan Mundy registered his first interception of the season in Week 12 against the Chiefs. Mundy stepped in front of a Tyler Palko pass in the second quarter and returned it 5 yards. He also finished with a team-high 11 tackles -- eight solo -- in the 13-9 win.

Steelers DL Brett Keisel had two tackles, one coming in the form of a sack, in Week 8 against the Patriots. The Steelers would win the game, 25-17.

The Steelers agreed to terms with unrestricted free-agent DB William Gay on Sunday, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Gay had 48 tackles (40 solo) and two sacks in 16 games for the Steelers last season.

Pittsburgh WR Jerricho Cotchery hauled in just one pass, but it went for a touchdown during the Steelers' 29-23 loss to Denver in the AFC Wild Card Playoff on Sunday. Cotchery connected with QB Ben Roethlisberger on a 31-yard touchdown pass during the fourth quarter to the tie the game at 23. The veteran wideout was targeted only twice by Roethlisberger, but still managed more yards than star WR Mike Wallace (26).

The Steelers announced on Sunday that they placed rookie RB Baron Batch on the injured reserve. He tore his ACL on Aug. 10 while cutting on the turf practice field.

Knee - IR. Out for the season

Veteran cornerback Will Allen has re-signed with the Miami Dolphins after they were riddled for 517 yards passing by Tom Brady in the season opener. Allen, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, rejoined Miami on Wednesday after being cut last week. He replaces nickel back Benny Sapp, whose contract was terminated Tuesday.

The Steelers signed RB Chad Spann to take the place of LB Chris Carter, who was placed on injured reserve

With NT Chris Hoke (neck surgery) and RB Jonathan Dwyer (foot) sidelined indefinitely, the Steelers made roster moves to provide able bodies on the roster for Thursday night’s game against Cleveland. Hoke and Dwyer were placed on injured reserve, and ILB Mortty Ivy and S Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith were activated from the practice squad.

Steelers DB Troy Polamalu led his team in tackles in Week 15 against the 49ers. He recorded seven solo tackles in the 20-3 loss.

The Steelers signed ex-Chiefs head coach Todd Haley to serve as their offensive coordinator, replacing Bruce Arians. Haley was fired as the Chiefs' coach last season after going 5-8 and falling out of serious contention for the playoffs. Not only did Haley help direct the Chiefs to the AFC West title in 2010, but he was also the offensive playcaller for the Cardinals when they went to the Super Bowl against the Steelers in the 2008 season. Haley is the son of former Steelers director of player personnel Dick Haley and a former ball boy for the Steelers.

Pittsburgh WR Emmanuel Sanders posted team highs in receptions (six) and yards (81) during the Steelers' 29-23 loss to Denver in the AFC Wild Card Playoff on Sunday. Sanders garnered eight targets from QB Ben Roethlisberger as he also secured his highest receiving output of the season. Entering Sunday's game, he had finished with more than two catches in an outing only twice during the regular season.

Pittsburgh placed DB Curtis Brown on injured reserve Friday with an ankle injury. To take his place on the roster, the Steelers signed RB John Clay from the team's practice squad.

Ankle - IR. Out for the season

NFL.com reports that the Steelers are not expected to bring back receiver Hines Ward for 2012. This news comes according to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora. "He has one year left on his deal worth $4 million," said La Canfora. "According to my sources, he won't be back there. So that's $4 million off the books."

Coach Tony Dungy has ruled running back Dominic Rhodes out of Sunday's regular-season finale vs. Tennessee. He likely would have played if it were a playoff game, but Dungy wants them to rest. "Dom's down a little bit, so he's definitely out of this game," Dungy said. Signs point to Joseph Addai playing (Dungy said that he's ready), but he'll be limited. Chad Simpson and Najeh Davenport will split whatever carries Addai doesn't pick up.

Detroit signed two players Monday, including RB Kevin Smith, to one-year deals. With the additions, the Lions released DB Anthony Madison and RB Eldra Buckley to clear room on the roster.

Steelers LB Larry Foote totaled five tackles (four solo) in the Week 3 win against the Bucs. Foote finished second on the team in tackles in the victory.

Pittsburgh signed DL Steve McLendon off the practice squad on Saturday.

Steelers RB John Clay scored his first rushing touchdown of his career in Week 16 against the Rams. Clay was able to find the end zone on a 10-yard scamper in the second quarter, capping off a four-play 75-yard scoring drive. That would be his only carry in the 27-0 victory.

The Steelers have signed WR Emmanuel Sanders and three other draft picks, giving them six picks under contract. Sanders, a third-round pick from SMU, signed Tuesday along with LB Stevenson Sylvester, a fifth-round selection from Utah; and sixth-round picks Jonathan Dwyer, a RB from Georgia Tech, and Antonio Brown, a former Central Michigan WR.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Steelers RB Mewelde Moore (knee) will not play Sunday in the AFC Wild Card game at Denver. Moore was originally hurt in Week 15 against San Francisco.

Knee - Missed Wild Card game at Denver

Steelers backup QB Byron Leftwich broke his left arm during Saturday's preseason game against Atlanta, coach Mike Tomlin said, meaning that Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon are the likely Nos. 2 and 3 QBs for much of this season behind starter Ben Roethlisberger. “I don’t have any additional information,” Tomlin said. “I am sure it’s going to be an extended period of time.” Leftwich completed 1 of 2 passes for 11 yards and ran one time for 6 yards before getting hurt.

The Browns listed the following players as inactive for Week 16 against Oakland: DB Coye Francies, DB Gerard Lawson, DL David Veikune, DL Derreck Robinson, TE Greg Estandia, WR Jake Allen, LB Arnold Harrison.

Steelers DB Keenan Lewis registered his first career interception in Week 12 against the Chiefs. Lewis stepped in front of a Tyler Palko pass late in the fourth quarter, which sealed the victory for Pittsburgh. He finished with one tackle in the 13-9 victory.