Steelers special-teams ace Miles Killebrew suffers ‘significant’ injury in win vs. Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers special-teams captain Miles Killebrew suffered what coach Mike Tomlin referred to as a “significant” knee injury during the second quarter of Sunday’s win against the Cleveland Browns.

Killebrew went down without being contacted and appeared in a substantial amount pain after covering a kickoff early during what ended up a 23-9 Steelers victory. Several Steelers players came on to the field and knelt on one knee while training personnel attended to Killebrew.

Tomlin said he would provide an update on Killebrew during his Monday news conference.

A safety by trade (he rarely plays on defense), Killebrew has been the AFC’s representative for special teams on each of the past two Pro Bowl rosters. He was named first-team AP NFL All Pro in 2023, in large part because of his propensity to block kicks.

He has not missed a game over five seasons with the Steelers and has appeared in 151 of a possible 153 games his teams have played since he entered the NFL with the Detroit Lions in 2016.

Killebrew has been the Steelers’ special-teams captain since 2022.

Other injuries

Five Steelers defensive backs suffered more minor injuries during the victory, but each returned to the game: Jalen Ramsey (hamstring), Darius Slay (shoulder), Joey Porter Jr. (twice — head, lower body), Brandin Echols (undisclosed) and Jabrill Peppers (lower-body).

After the game, Porter downplayed the injuries and indicated he was fine. Sunday was his return to game action since suffering a hamstring injury during the Sept. 7 season opener.

Ramsey had suffered a hamstring injury during the Steelers’ most recent game, Sept. 28 in Dublin, but returned to practice Friday before suiting up Sunday. Peppers after the game was wincing and complaining of pain as he mildly limped through the locker room.