Prayers for Ryan Shazier of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On the first offensive possession of the game for the Cincinnati Bengals, linebacker Ryan Shazier of the Pittsburgh Steelers appeared to suffer a serious back injury on an attempt to make a tackle.

After his tackle attempt, Shazier immediately reached for the middle of his back and stayed down on the field. Eventually he was strapped to a backboard and put on the back of a cart and taken to the locker room. The ESPN broadcast on Monday Night Football noted that Shazier didn’t move his legs after the hit. According to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network, he was taken out of the stadium in an ambulance shortly after he was carted off the field.

https://youtu.be/JIKBpQ7q_E4

Edit: Updated video from ESPN. It just hurts to see when he knows what’s up and he’s waiving for help.
http://es.pn/2iPq30m

Update Dec 5th at 3PM EST:
The Steelers offered an optimistic update on linebacker Ryan Shazier on Tuesday morning, saying Shazier would "not require surgery at this time" but that he would remain in the hospital for evaluation.

"Ryan Shazier suffered a back injury and was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he had a CT scan and an MRI to evaluate the condition of his back," Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said in a statement from the team. "Ryan's injury will not require surgery at this time and he continues to improve. He will stay overnight and continue evaluations with the hopes of returning to Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Update Dec 6th at 8PM EST
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Shazier has shown promising signs and has some movement in his lower extremities, according to a source informed of the player's status. As doctors have informed both Rapoport and Aditi Kinkhabwala, movement does not return all at once.

Doctors will know more about Shazier's injury once some of the injury's swelling recedes, Kinkhabwala previously reported. Steelers owner Art Rooney II, coach Mike Tomlin and Colbert visited Shazier in the hospital after the game Monday night.