Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier has a long road to recovery, but at least he was well enough on Wednesday to be transported back to Pittsburgh.

Shazier, who suffered a spinal contusion on a scary play in Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, was transported from Cincinnati to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, according to team spokesman Burt Lauten.

Shazier was apparently airlifted via this helicopter, via TV producer Laura Chapnick.

While there was some positive news on Tuesday morning, a statement by the Steelers later on Tuesday didn’t seem quite as optimistic and said Shazier would remain in Cincinnati for further testing and evaluation for 24-48 hours. Perhaps it’s good news that Shazier left Cincinnati on the short end of that timetable.

There has been an outpouring of support since Shazier was injured attempting to make a tackle early in Monday night’s game. The Steelers play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh said they started a team meeting on Wednesday by praying for Shazier.

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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