Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee Sunday and will miss four to six weeks as he recovers.
The 33-year-old was carted off the field following a major hit to his left knee in the third quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers game against the St. Louis Rams.
Although Ben is a big guy, he was taken down hard after Rams safety Mark Barron hit him right in the middle of the leg, which seemed to hyperextend his left knee. Ben clutched his leg as soon as he hit the ground, clearly indicating that he was in pain.
Following the play, Ben was quickly carted off the field and declared out for the rest of the game. The Steelers should feel fortunate now to have signed veteran quarterback Michael Vick in late August, but Pittsburgh cannot expect Vick to just seamlessly replace Roethlisberger. Vick is 35, and hasn’t been a fulltime starter since early in the 2013 season in Philadelphia.
The Steelers still went on to a 12-6 victory, but the one thing on everyone’s minds was the status of Big Ben.
Before the injury, Roethlisberger was 20-of-24 for 192 yards with an interception, while Vick finished 5-of-6 for 38 yards.
Now the Steelers will be without Roethlisberger for four to six weeks, as he recovers from a medial collateral ligament sprain and bone bruise.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin did not provide specifics after the game but said the team will provide an update Monday.
The pressure is now on offensive coordinator Todd Haley, as well as Brown and Bell, to somehow keep this offense on track for while Roethlisberger is out, because the Steelers won’t be a playoff contender relying on defense alone.
NFL insider Adam Schefter gave an update on Ben not long after the game, revealing that he will not return to the field for at least four weeks.
As if this news isn’t heartbreaking enough for Steelers fans — as well as a video of Ben leaving the stadium on crutches — Adam also said it’s still uncertain if Ben’s injury could keep him out for the remainder of the season.
Watch the clip below.
