The Seahawks and Steelers took Sunday night’s game down to the wire before Pittsburgh came away with a 23-20 overtime win. With the score evened up late into the fourth quarter, both sides paused the action to surround Darrell Taylor with just a few minutes on the clock. The second-year pass rusher, a second-round pick of Seattle in 2020, had been busy as part of the Seahawks’ rotation up front but suffered a neck injury while attempting to make a tackle.
After a prolonged period of lying motionless on the ground, Taylor received attention from trainers, had his face mask removed and was ultimately taken off the field on a stretcher, set to undergo evaluation at the local hospital.
Following the game, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said the team got a “really good preliminary report” on Taylor, who had movement in all his extremities. Carroll said Taylor didn’t want to be carted off but had to be as a precaution.
Taylor was immobilized to the maximum extent for removal from the field, per NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico, but was briefly seen talking with medical staff before departing for treatment at UPMC’s Level 1 Trauma Center.
Both the Steelers and Seahawks had their benches basically empty as players and staff from both sides stood around Taylor before he was carted off, with veterans like Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson and Chase Claypool seen offering words of support.
Taylor, 24, missed all of his 2020 rookie season with Seattle after undergoing leg surgery. The Tennessee product had been off to a hot start in 2021, however, entering Sunday night’s contest with four sacks as a major piece of the Seahawks’ pass rush.
