Could nagging injury end Polamalu era in Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin announced Monday that the team will be without star Troy Polamalu for Thursday's prime-time game against the Tennessee Titans and potentially longer after the safety reinjured his right calf late in the first quarter of the team's 16-14 win against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"He will probably be deemed out this week because of the week itself being a quick turnaround and the nature of the injury," said coach Mike Tomlin in his weekly press conference "We will evaluate him when get back from Tennessee. We don't think he will participate."

The injury, which had kept Polamalu out since Week 2, and the appearance that he may have lost a step since returning from an Achilles tendon injury on the same leg in 2010 have forced teammates and media members to begin imagining a Steelers defense without the seven-time Pro Bowl player.

"I almost had a mental collapse when I saw him get hurt," Ryan Clark told thePittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Sometimes, I think my love for him is a negative. I hurt selfishly when I see him hurting because I want him out there. He's part of the reason why I play here, why I come back every year."

But as Ron Cook wonders in that same story, how many big plays does Polamalu have left in him? More important, if Polamalu misses significant action for the third season in the past four, can the Steelers justify keeping him around for the final two years of a contract that would pay him $7.5 million in 2013 and $8.25 million in 2014?

There's no disputing what Polamalu's presence means to this team and Dick LeBeau's 3-4 defense. But if this injury proves to be more than just a short-term setback for the 31-year-old, it could put the Steelers in the uncomfortable position of having to prematurely cut ties with one their most beloved players.

The team remains thin at cornerback and will face major decisions a couple impending free agents, wide receiver Mike Wallace and running back Rashard Mendenhall. If Polamalu is unable to continue to perform like the highest paid safety in the NFL, the Steelers could use that cap money to improve the team in other ways.The organization obviously would love to see the 2010 AP Defensive Player of the Year back at full strength as soon as possible and certainly isn't thinking about any other options at this point. But if this nagging injury proves to be more than just that, Tomlin and Pittsburgh's front office may be forced to make an offseason decision they certainly didn't expect.