Pittsburgh Steelers: Eli Rogers suffers torn ACL against Jaguars

The Pittsburgh Steelers would’ve went the rest of the playoffs without one of their top receivers following the Jacksonville Jaguars loss.

Last Sunday wasn’t one to remember for Pittsburgh. Coming into the AFC Divisional round confident and looking forward to the AFC Championship rematch with the New England Patriots, the city was looking forward to a great weekend.

That never happened. A quick 21-0 deficit turned into too much for the Steelers to overcome, falling to Jacksonville, 45-42.

Pittsburgh’s loss to the Jaguars marked the end of their 2017 season. With no playing time left, losing players to injuries isn’t as impactful for the most part. This time, however, the Steelers may be without one of their top weapons moving forward.

According to reports, wide receiver, Eli Rogers, tore his ACL towards the end of the game, Sunday. Despite not being a part of the post-game injury report, Rogers appeared to tear the ligament during the fourth quarter.

This is more significant than it seems. The usual recovery for this type of injury is anywhere from 6-9 months. Rogers will be an Unrestricted Free Agent next season. With injuries in his past, teams, including Pittsburgh, taking a chance on him will drop significantly.

Rogers is a valuable asset to any offense. His numbers in 2017 dropped dramatically due to the impact of JuJu Smith-Schuster. Still No. 17 put up 18 receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown, including five catches for 42 yards against Jacksonville.

Right now, Rogers will likely be back around the time the Steelers start their training camp. This could mean trouble for his future in Pittsburgh. With his reliability and chemistry with this receiving core and Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers are likely to give him a chance once he returns.

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Depending on what the offseason holds for this team, they’ll likely try to keep their roster in tact for next season. That includes Rogers.