Hines Ward has passed the battery of tests that Steelers players are required to take after suffering a concussion, and the veteran wide receiver is expected to play Sunday.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that the Steelers will monitor Ward throughout the week. If Ward doesn't experience any post-concussion symptoms, he will suit up against the Raiders. Ward got knocked out of Sunday night's game against the Patriots at the end of the first quarter. He said after the Steelers' 39-26 loss that he should have been allowed to return to the game. Tomlin confirmed that Ward passed a concussion test administered to him at Heinz Field but said that the Steelers didn't want to take any chances. "I think we're all pretty familiar with the climate that we're in, in regards to concussions," Tomlin said at his weekly news conference. "Sometimes, you've got to protect the extreme competitors from themselves, and Hines is that. We love and respect him for that, but we had to act in his best interests."
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