For the second time in less than a year, the Steelers have been linked to leaking negative information about the health of a player. Some who work for other teams are wondering whether this will make players think twice for trusting the Steelers with their medical data.
In June, a report emerged that cornerback Brandon Boykin has a career-threatening hip injury. Now, after free-agent cornerback Keenan Lewis visited the team about a potential return, a report has emerged that the Steelers are concerned about his hip.
Whatever the objective in leaking such information (perhaps the team wants the fans to understand why players are being signed), such information can hurt a player. Literally.
“The people that play this game want to know if someone is injured,” one league source said. “If they are true competitors they are going to try and exploit that injury.”
It’s a good point, and if this dynamic suggests a trend, players may want to think twice about letting the Steelers have access to information about their overall health.
