Miller: Ward will play in Super Bowl

Jan 20, 2009 - 2:32 AM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- A knee injury may not keep Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward from playing in Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals, according to a published report on Monday.

One day after suffering a slight medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported one teammate predicted the former Super Bowl MVP would play in the showdown on February 1.

"I don't think there's any question (No.) 86 will be on the field," Pittsburgh tight end Heath Miller told the newspaper. "I don't even know the extent of his injury, but I saw him walking (Monday) so I'm pretty sure that two weeks from now he'll be playing."

Ward, who had five receptions for 123 yards and one touchdown en route to helping the Steelers capture a 21-10 triumph over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, went down with the injury in Sunday's 23-14 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game.

The 32-year-old Ward was injured midway through the first quarter after making an 11-yard reception. His knee appeared to be bent back under him on a tackle by Ravens cornerback Frank Walker.

After going to the locker room, Ward returned for another series, catching a short pass before leaving the game for the rest of the first half. He finished with three receptions and 55 yards.

Ward was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, but the Steelers did not release the results. Coach Mike Tomlin is expected to issue an injury update on Tuesday, according to the Post-Gazette.

A native of Seoul, South Korea, Ward recorded 81 catches, 1,043 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games this season.