OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey is in stable condition in a Bay Area hospital after suffering a neck injury, a source familiar with the injury told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Heyward-Bey was hurt following a helmet-to-helmet hit from Steelers safety Ryan Mundy that was not penalized Sunday.
Doctors do not believe Heyward-Bey suffered a concussion and it's more of a neck injury that will require further testing Monday, according to the source.
"But I think he avoided something serious for now," the source told Schefter.
Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Heyward-Bey was able to move his extremities.
Heyward-Bey was running across the end zone early in the fourth quarter Sunday to catch a pass from Carson Palmer when Mundy launched his body and lowered his helmet into Heyward-Bey's facemask. Heyward-Bey's neck jerked violently and his head also crashed into the ground. The pass was incomplete.
The Oakland Coliseum crowd fell silent. Mundy and players from both sides kneeled in prayer. The home fans also started a derogatory chant at the replacement officials.
"We don't play like that," Mundy said. "We don't try to injure people or anything like that. We understand this is people's livelihood. We take that serious."
Heyward-Bey's eyes were shut for the 10 minutes trainers attended to him as he lay motionless. He was strapped to a table and placed on a cart. As the cart started to leave the field, he raised his right hand to roaring cheers.
Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 43-yard field goal on the last play as the Raiders scored the final 13 points after Heyward-Bey left to score a 34-31 win against Pittsburgh.
"For us seeing him give the thumbs up, knowing he was all right gave us more momentum," Derek Hagan said. "That really uplifted us and we came out on top."
"Any time they take one of your brothers out, you have to retaliate and get them back," Raiders safety Michael Huff said. "Obviously not in an illegal way or anything like that. We wanted to go out and get the win for him because he couldn't finish it."
Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and The Associated Press was used in this report.