Just when his knee was getting healthy, Steelers running back Willie Parker’s shoulder has turned into a problem.

Parker was told this week that he has a torn labrum in his shoulder that will require offseason surgery, a league source said this weekend. Parker will not play Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts and there are questions about when he will play again. If he does, he will have to wear a shoulder harnass, making the job of playing running back that much tougher.

Parker injured the shoulder on a fluke play during Monday night’s victory in Washington against the Redskins. He spent Friday getting a second opinion, an opinion that will determine Parker’s course of action from this point on.

Parker is not the first prominent player in the division to tear a labrum in his shoulder this season. Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson did it last summer and has attempted to play through the pain, opting to put off any potential surgery until after the season.

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