After a tough win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sustained a hard hit in the third quarter that has left him with an AC sprain and torn ligaments in his throwing shoulder. Roethlisberger already missed a few games earlier in the year because of an ankle injury, but managed to work his way back on the field to make it to the playoffs.
During a radio show Tuesday morning, Roethlisberger announced his shoulder felt sore, but is emphasizing his status is still on a day-to-day as the Steelers plan for Sunday’s AFC divisional round against the Broncos in Denver.
A few sources, such as ESPN announced that Roethlisberger will play against the Broncos Sunday. Roethlisberger even stated he would “do whatever [he] can to be out there, but not at the expense of [his] team.” Roethlisberger has been known to play through pain in his career, which is one the reasons why he is a three time Pro Bowler.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin believes that there is hope for Roethlisberger to play on Sunday’s game, but, during this week’s practice, his time will be limited. Landry Jones, who is the backup quarterback, will be throwing for a majority of the practice so Roethlisberger can rest his shoulder for the big game in Sunday.
The Steelers are not only dealing with the Roethlisberger injury, they are also watching over wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back DeAngelo Williams. Antonio Brown is currently on concussion watch and DeAngelo is dealing with right foot issues. If you’re a Steelers fan you can relate to how painful these injuries are to the team going into the playoffs, especially with Peyton Manning coming back healthy after sitting out for a few games.
The Steelers have less than a week to get there offensive star players healthy before they face the Broncos. Despite these injuries, the Steelers camp seems optimistic about the game on Sunday. Once the game starts, however, we will see how they perform with all the obstacles they’re facing. You can find more information on the Pittsburgh Steelers injury report on ESPN.