Bengals' Nelson will not return vs. Steelers with ankle injury

Cincinnati Bengals safety Reggie Nelson left Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a left ankle injury and will not return.

Nelson exited the contest after sacking Ben Roethlisberger; he was helped to the sideline with the aid of trainers. Shortly thereafter, Nelson was taken to the locker room.

While bringing Roethlisberger to the ground, Nelson appeared to make slight contact with teammate Vincent Rey.

Earlier in the game, Nelson was involved in a confrontation with Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak.

Nelson, tied for the league lead with eight interceptions, would be a significant loss for the Bengals should they advance and he's unable to play in the divisional round.

The Bengals' secondary is quickly being depleted, as cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick suffered a quad injury in the second quarter and is questionable to return.