PITTSBURGH -- Seattle Seahawks defensive end Darrell Taylor was immobilized and taken off the field on a stretcher in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's 23-20 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Coach Pete Carroll, while not specifying Taylor's injury, said after the game that preliminary CT scans were clear and that while there were more tests to follow, Taylor was moving his extremities.
"He really did get a great report on his CT scans that he was clear and all that. He's got more tests to do just to double-check and triple-check and make sure he's OK, MRIs and stuff today," Carroll said Monday on 710 ESPN Seattle. "But the initial return is that he didn't have any major damage at all, and he feels good. I talked to him just a few minutes ago, and he's got a sore neck right now, a stiff neck a little bit. But he really feels -- relative to what it looked like and what we were having to deal with -- he really got a great turnaround and great news."
Carroll said it's too soon to tell whether Taylor can return this week.
A team spokesperson said that Taylor was to fly back to Seattle with the team.
Taylor was down near midfield for several minutes before he was immobilized on a stretcher, with his helmet still on and his face mask removed. Both teams circled around Taylor as he received medical attention.
"He was so mad at having to be taken off the field like that," Carroll said. "He wanted to get up. They wouldn't let him do it because they had to do all the secure methods to take care of him and all that. He didn't want any part of that."
Taylor was taken via ambulance to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Former Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, who suffered a severe spinal cord injury during a game that initially left him unable to walk and that ended his career, tweeted that he was praying for Taylor.
I pray Taylor is okay. God is strong he will help us over come all obstacles. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
— Ryan Shazier (@RyanShazier) October 18, 2021
Taylor, a second-round draft pick last year out of Tennessee, missed his rookie season with a leg injury that dated back to his final college season. He has been Seattle's best pass-rusher this season, leading the team with four sacks in the first five games. He had the Seahawks' only official QB hit Sunday night.
The Seahawks also lost running back Alex Collins and guard Damien Lewis to injuries. Carroll said Collins took separate hits on his hip and glute but didn't have any further update on his status. The coach said Lewis suffered an AC joint sprain.
Carroll said Monday that it's not out of the question that Collins can return this week, but the Seahawks won't know his status for a couple more days.