Bellevue native and 2012 Pittsburgh Steelers first round pick David DeCastro dislocated his knee cap, tore his medical collateral ligament and sustained slight damage to his patellar tendon in Saturday's preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. DeCastro's ACL did remain intact though contrary to some reports.
The former Bellevue High School star suffered the injury while pass blocking on a third-and-long when his right leg got twisted underneath his weight following a Marcell Dareus power move. DeCastro lay motionless in the end zone for a few minutes before trainers assisted him off with the cart.
The 6'5", 316-pound guard was expected to provide a boost to the Steelers weak offensive line but his season is now in serious jeopardy with a three to five month recovery early timetable. Pittsburgh's next move could be to place the rookie on injured reserve, forcing Ramon Foster into the starting lineup for the remainder of the season.