Pittsburgh Steelers WR leaves game with eye injury

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for a tough matchup in their Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, pitting two of the NFL's best defenses against each other in an early showdown of AFC contenders. The Steelers had hoped to emerge from this game healthy and with a 3-0 record.

The Steelers may be successful on the field, but they haven't put their injury problems behind them. After up-and-coming cornerback Cory Trice had to leave the game against the Chargers, the team lost one of its offensive weapons.

Wide receiver Van Jefferson left the Steelers' game in the second quarter. The team was in the midst of its first positive offensive play of the game when Jefferson voluntarily left the field.

After leaving the game, it was reported that the receiver had suffered an eye injury and his return to action was questionable. Due to the injury, the team only had three active wide receivers in the game.

If Jefferson is out for an extended period of time, it would be a major blow to the Steelers offense. Jefferson played behind number one wide receiver George Pickens and was the team's most experienced receiver. He brings consistency and leadership to the team's receiver department. Jefferson would be a difficult player to replace, so the team remains confident that all is well.

This is Jefferson's first season with the Steelers. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams. With the Rams, he had his best offensive season in the NFL, surpassing 800 receiving yards. That same season, he was a key part of the receiving room for the Rams that won the Super Bowl.

This season has started slowly for the veteran receiver. In two games, he has caught just three passes on five attempts for 15 yards and no touchdowns. The Steelers are trying to get him more involved and hope they can do that when he returns from injury.

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