Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy did not reach the locker room at halftime during the team’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after appearing to hurt his leg while leaving the field, according to the source report.
The Steelers were behind 13-3 at the break. Their offense had not scored a touchdown and had converted one of six third-down attempts, leaving the team with decisions to make about its approach for the second half.
As McCarthy walked off the sideline toward an interview with a CBS reporter, he appeared to twist an ankle, the report said. A member of the Steelers’ staff helped him off the field, and McCarthy went into the team’s blue medical tent. He remained there through halftime rather than joining players in the locker room.
McCarthy returned to the sideline when the second half began. The report said the team informed CBS that he would limp for the rest of the game. It did not provide a diagnosis, details about treatment, or an estimate of how long the injury might affect him.
McCarthy is both Pittsburgh’s head coach and its offensive play-caller. The report did not identify who, if anyone, handled offensive adjustments during halftime in his absence. It also did not say whether McCarthy was able to communicate with the coaching staff from the medical tent.
The account describes the injury as apparent and does not include an official statement from the Steelers or a medical assessment. The details about McCarthy’s condition and his halftime absence should therefore be understood as reported observations, not a confirmed diagnosis.
