Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Sunday night’s matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers took a backseat to a scary scene in the fourth quarter.
Seahawks defensive end Darrell Taylor was stretchered off with an injury after a long delay during which players on both teams gathered on the field to see if he was all right.
B/R Gridiron @brgridiron
Darrell Taylor had to be carted off the field after an apparent neck injury.
Prayers up 🙏 pic.twitter.com/6mfyGHdjcU
NBC Sports’ Michele Tafoya reported Taylor was taken away via ambulance. She noted, “It was confirmed to me by Seahawks PR that he is moving all of his extremities.”
According to NFL.com, Taylor was moving his legs when he was on the ground and before he was immobilized and stretchered off.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll provided a positive update on Taylor after the game:
Seattle Seahawks @Seahawks
.@PeteCarroll provides an injury update on @darrelltaylorst. pic.twitter.com/dNC1tjrsCT
Seattle Seahawks @Seahawks
Our thoughts are with @darrelltaylorst. He is alert, has use of all of his extremities, and his CT scans were clear. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ngHilyX5OL
John Boyle @johnpboyle
More good news on Darrell Taylor: he will fly back to Seattle with the team tonight.
Former Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, who suffered a spinal cord injury that ended his career, tweeted his support:
Ryan Shazier @RyanShazier
I pray Taylor is okay. God is strong he will help us over come all obstacles. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Taylor is in his second season in the league after Seattle selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. He has appeared in all six of the team’s games this season and entered play with 12 tackles, four sacks and one forced fumble. He added four tackles against Pittsburgh before exiting.
The 24-year-old missed what would have been his rookie campaign in 2020 because of injury.
Pittsburgh beat Seattle in overtime on a Chris Boswell field goal that was set up by T.J. Watt’s forced fumble.