Banner having knee surgery, out for 2020

Zach Banner's fears -- and tears -- were confirmed: He'll miss the rest of the Steelers' 2020 season.

The team's starting right tackle confirmed via social media Tuesday night that he'd torn the ACL in his right knee the previous night in the 26-16 victory over the Giants in East Rutherford, N.J., and as a result, he'll have surgery Friday. That won't allow him to return to team activities until next year.

His announcement in full:

Earlier in the day, Mike Tomlin would confirm only that Banner was still being evaluated, but he also had this to say of the player who narrowly beat out Chuks Okorafor for the starting job in training camp: "It can be a cold game, but it's a lot like life. We're not defined by what happens to us. We're defined by how we respond to it. And so, whenever an unfortunate event like that occurs, we talk openly about that. It's not that he got injured after all that he's been through, after the fight that he's been through to get where he is. It's about what he does moving forward. He's a competitor. He's a professional. And I expect  him to smile in the face of adversity."

Banner sure wasn't smiling upon being hurt Monday on a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to JuJu Smith-Schuster. Upon being helped off, he could be seen crying on the sideline bench, consoled by Roethlisberger and other teammates.

His place at right tackle will be taken by Okorafor, obviously, but right guard remains unsettled. Tomlin strongly suggested David DeCastro could return to practice Wednesday after missing the opener and much of camp. DeCastro's replacement for the opener, Stefen Wisniewski, was hurt on the play before Banner was hurt, straining a pectoral muscle. Tomlin downplayed the severity of that injury Tuesday.

Additionally, the team brought back versatile tackle Jerald Hawkins by signing him off the Texans' practice squad Tuesday.