Steelers' Pro Bowl cornerback exits with foot injury

The Pittsburgh Steelers secondary suffered a tough blow on Sunday, as cornerback Joe Haden suffered a foot injury of the second quarter of the Steelers’ contest with the Detroit Lions.

Haden was initially marked as questionable to return; however, shortly thereafter, the Steelers downgraded his status to out. The exact severity remains unclear, but the injury is enough to keep him sidelined Sunday.

Haden made his presence known in limited playing time against the Lions. The Steelers’ cornerback made a big play early in the game; after Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph threw an interception, Jared Goff and the Lions lined up and looked to convert on a deep-ball. However, Haden stepped in and broke up the deep pass, which could very well have been a touchdown if completed. He finished with one solo tackle in addition to the one pass defended.

Haden, 32, is amidst his 12th season in the NFL, after spending his first seven seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He’s been with the Steelers ever since, and Haden was named to the NFL Pro Bowl roster three times: twice with the Browns in 2013 and 2014, and once more in 2019 with the Steelers.

In nearly five full seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Haden has started all 63 of the games in which he’s appeared, logging 223 total tackles (186 solo stops), 11 tackles for a loss, one sack, three forced fumbles and ten interceptions. He’s yet to log an interception in 2021, though, and he entered Sunday’s contest with 23 total tackles on the year.

A second-team All-Pro in 2013, Haden has 600 tackles (492 solo) in 153 career games, along with 14 tackles for a loss, three sacks and 29 interceptions.

A native of Fort Washington, Maryland, Haden played quarterback and safety for Friendly High School. He led his high school team to a 14-0 record and state championship his senior year, a performance that earned him a four-star rating by Rivals.com. He was listed as the No. 3 ATH in the country at the time, and Haden ultimately committed to the University of Florida over other suitors like Pittsburgh, Ohio State and Tennessee.

Haden played under Urban Meyer at Florida, and he immediately started at cornerback in his true freshman season. Among his countless college achievements, Haden was named freshman All-American, won a BCS National Championship in 2008, then was named a unanimous first-team All-American in 2009, his junior year, before declaring for the NFL Draft. He was selected by the Browns with the seventh-overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.