Former Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier has started walking and is "making incredible progress" two months after suffering a spinal cord injury, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter.
"The next three to six months are critical in his recovery and will provide a significant idea how much more function Shazier can regain," Schefter wrote. "But for now, the fact that he is out of the hospital and moving his legs and walking are all positive signs."
NBC's Michele Tafoya, however, later clarified the report, saying that although Shazier has movement in his legs, he is not yet able to walk on his own, needing "assistance from a walker or other people to support him in his rehabilitation walking, which remains a struggle."
@steelers @RyanShazier @SNFonNBC #NFL pic.twitter.com/kahYCRiPGD
— Michele Tafoya (@Michele_Tafoya) February 4, 2018
Shazier was discharged from the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute on Thursday and is transitioning into an outpatient therapy program as he continues to recover from the spinal injury he suffered while making a tackle in the Pittsburgh Steelers' Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 4.
