Tough To Be As Out Of Touch As Steelers Were With This Sack Celebration

Pittsburgh's defense probably will want to have this one back

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Jan 8, 2023

With the entire NFL paying tribute to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers took "out of touch" to a new level Sunday with a last-minute sack celebration during their game against the Cleveland Browns.

Pittsburgh pass rusher Alex Highsmith sacked Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson with 38 seconds left in the Steelers' eventual 28-14 victory. But when he was on the ground, Highsmith started receiving celebratory chest compressions from a Steelers teammate. The celebration isn't exactly new, of course, but given the situation the league found itself in less than one week ago with Hamlin it was incredibly puzzling.

You can check out the celebration here.

Hamlin, as you likely have heard, suffered from cardiac arrest during "Monday Night Football" and needed to have CPR and his heartbeat restored on the field at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. He then was taken to the hospital where he initially was in critical condition before a remarkable recovery this week.

This isn't to say the celebration was conducted with any ill-intent. It's likely it was just a massive brain fart for the Steelers defense.

Nevertheless, it caught the attention of many on social media with some calling out the Steelers for being "classless," others saying those "classless" comments were an overreaction and another group playing it down the middle by calling it like it was -- a very poor-timed decision.

Despite their win, the Steelers season came to an end Sunday with the Miami Dolphins earning the seventh and final seed in the AFC playoff picture. Pittsburgh would have advanced to the postseason should both the Patriots and Dolphins both have lost, though only New England did.

As for Hamlin, the Bills safety has experienced a remarkable recovery and was able to both watch and live-tweet Buffalo's Week 18 win over the Patriots.

Thumbnail photo via Philip G. Pavely/USA TODAY Sports Images
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