Ryan Shazier is progressing on his long road to recovery, and in a bit of good news, he’s finally going home.
ESPN reported Thursday that Shazier is out of the hospital and back at home, allowing the injured Steelers linebacker to travel to and from his rehab facility as he continues to recover from a serious spinal injury he suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals in December.
The brutal injury on national television initially left Shazier without feeling in his legs, and in the months since he’s tried his best to recover in a hospital, with the ultimate goal of walking and perhaps playing football again.
On Thursday, Shazier celebrated his release from the hospital with a post on Instagram where he thanked everyone for helping him with his recovery and the support he’s gotten from his family, team and fans.
“I’ve had a lot of 1st downs at UPMC, but you know being the defensive guy I am, my mind is on 3 and out,” Shazier wrote on Instagram. “I want everyone to know I’m moving on to the next step in the process. Today’s a big day for me as I’m officially being released from the hospital.”
It’s a great sign for Shazier, who seems determined to recover fully from what was a scary situation. Whether he plays football again is hard to say, but just getting him back to a normal life outside of the hospital is most important right now.
