When Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in the regular-season finale at Cleveland, he was perhaps playing as well as he had at any point of the season. The previous week, Mendenhall had lit up a shaky Rams run defense for 116 yards on 18 carries, with a 52-yard rush and a 35-yard reception as highlights. Not lacking for long speed, Mendenhall has proven that he can be very dangerous if he gets a lane and gets into the secondary. Now, the 24-year-old Mendenhall faces a period of recuperation and rehabilitation as he works to return for his fifth NFL season. In an interview with PFW Wednesday, Mendenhall's agent, Rick Smith, said that Mendenhall's injury was a "standard" ACL tear, with a recovery timetable of "6-9 months," he said. Source: Pro Football Weekly
