Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith had surgery to repair the partially torn triceps tendon in his left arm, head coach Mike Tomlin said.

"It was partially torn and was fixed," said Tomlin. "He is going to be out an extended period of time and at this juncture we intend to wait that out. Aaron is a quality player, a veteran leader for us. If there is hope for his return then of course we are going to be hopeful for as long as we possibly can. That is our mentality as we sit here today."

While Smith is out, 2009 first-round pick Ziggy Hood is expected to replace Smith in the starting lineup. In a reserve role this season, Hood has three tackles and a pass defensed. Hood was active for all 16 games last season, totaling 8 tackles and a quarterback sack with two passes defensed.