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Kwon Alexander is in his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the veteran linebacker found a place on their defense. However, Alexander's season came to an end in the first quarter of their Week 10 win against the Green Bay Packers. He suffered a devastating Achilles injury that could see him miss time next season.
He played in eight games with Pittsburgh, getting 41 tackles with a sack, interception, and forced fumble. Another Steelers linebacker, Cole Holcomb, is out for the season with a knee injury.
The veteran LB was the player who spoke to the sideline and conveyed the play to his teammates. Prior to joining the Steelers, Alexander spent last season with the New York Jets. Alexander started 12 games with the Jets as he had 69 tackles, six tackles for loss, and a half-sack.
His career began with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the franchise took him out of LSU in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. He would rack up 271 tackles, seven sacks, six forced fumbles, and six interceptions in 46 starts with the Buccaneers.
Alexander took his talents to the West Coast, joining the San Francisco 49ers for the 2019 season. He played 13 games for the 49ers before being traded to the New Orleans Saints five games into the 2020 season. The Pro Bowler played 12 games the following season with the Saints.
Kwon Alexander joins the list of star players with Achilles injuries this season
The 29-year-old linebacker is now another player whose 2023 season ended with an Achilles injury. Week 1 saw four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers went down with the injury four minutes into his debut as the Jets' starting quarterback. Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins also suffered the injury in the same week.
Per the Cleveland Clinic, it takes four to six months to heal from a torn or ruptured Achilles tendon.
The Hospital for Special Surgery states that recovery from an Achilles tendon rupture process commonly takes eight to ten weeks. There's also an additional four to six months of physical therapy. This is for individuals who do not have surgery. Getting back to all activities can take up to nine months.
Both Rodgers and Dobbins are on the road to recovery as they had surgeries. It remains unknown if Kwon Alexander will do the same.
