From the displays of protest ignited by Colin Kaepernick to the pre-game prayers of the Philadelphia Eagles, this NFL season has been marked by men on bended knee.
And Monday night’s game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers proved to be no exception.
The hearts of fans and fellow athletes sank as they watched Steelers’ linebacker Ryan Shazier sustain a devastating back injury that left him writhing in pain on the field.
Prayers up for Ryan Shazier🙏 pic.twitter.com/92qb4B4NjE
— MeanMug Sports😤 (@MeanMugSports) December 5, 2017
Gasps of shock and concern circulated through the stadium as Shazier was rushed off the field to the hospital—but another head-turning event soon grabbed fans’ attention.
Though the Bengals had just lost to the Steelers 23-20, Bengals’ quarterback Andy Dalton put his pride aside to kneel in prayer for his injured opponent.
Bengals QB Andy Dalton stayed on the field after tonight’s loss to pray for Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier. pic.twitter.com/NBeWO2bukV
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) December 5, 2017
Viewers and media outlets across the country quickly took to Twitter in praise of the class-act move by Dalton, who knew his “allegiance was to Christ first and then his team.”