While he has not yet been declared out, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark is coming closer and closer to not playing in Sunday's playoff game on the road against the Denver Broncos. The teams is leaning toward sitting Clark, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
UPDATE: Head Coach Mike Tomlin has ruled Clark out for the game:
Coach Tomlin " I met with @RealRClark25 and have informed him i am not going to allow him to play in this game"
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 3, 2012
Clark is affected by sickle cell trait and the thin air in Denver could prove devastating to his health. It previously did, as Dulac points out, in 2007 when he had his spleen and gall bladder after playing in Denver. The medical personnel for Pittsburgh has apparently determined after tests that Clark should not play.
Ryan Mundy now gets the chance to start and look Tim Tebow in the eye on the field.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, head to Broncos blog Mile High Report and Steelers blog Behind the Steel Curtain. For more news and notes from around the NFL, visit SB Nation's NFL news hub.