Report: Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger has torn meniscus, will be out indefinitely
The Pittsburgh Steelers followed a bad loss to the Miami Dolphins with worse news: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could be out a while.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a torn meniscus in left knee and will have surgery Monday morning. No timetable for his return.
— Ron Cook (@RonCookPG) October 17, 2016
Oh no. We’ve seen the Steelers without Roethlisberger in recent years for spells, and it hasn’t typically been pretty. Typically, meniscus injuries take at least six weeks to recover, and it often can take longer.
It’s believed that Roethlisberger suffered the injury in the second quarter of the 30-15 loss to the Dolphins. He was intercepted by Reshad Jones (see the video above) and missed the following series, replaced briefly by backup Landry Jones. Jones came in and was 0-for-1 passing and warmed up to start the second half, but Roethlisberger returned and actually finished the game. Roethlisberger finished the loss 19-of-34 passing for 189 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions.
Jones started two games for the Steelers last season — winning one, losing one — with Roethlisberger out, completing 31-of-55 passes for 513 yards with three TDs and four interceptions. He also threw a pick while subbing for a banged-up Roethlisberger in the ugly playoff win over the Cincinnati Bengals in January. Michael Vick started the three other games that Roethlisberger was hurt last season and threw for only 371 yards but won two of his three starts.
The Steelers could be entering a flashpoint of their season, and this temporarily takes them from the elite ranks. They face a tough home game against the New England Patriots in Week 7, and Jones almost certainly will start. The Steelers’ only other QB on the roster is Zach Mettenberger, who started 10 games for the Tennessee Titans in 2014 and 2015. He was cut by the San Diego Chargers in training camp and claimed by the Steelers. He has lost all 10 starts in his NFL career.
There’s also a long-term concern for Roethlisberger, who has taken a lot of hits over the years and has missed at least one game in nine of the past 12 full seasons after taking over early in his rookie season as the Steelers’ starting QB.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
