Ben Roethlisberger Expected To Start In Week 17

That’s good news for the Steelers who still have something to play for. They’ve clinched a playoff spot but still have a shot at securing a division title, first round bye and even perhaps home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

So the Steelers have plenty to play for, which means Roethlisberger will be out there. Previous reports indicated that they may get him just 25-30 snaps so he’s not rusty entering the playoffs.

For more on the Steelers, head to Behind the Steel Curtain.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams. Follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.

That may ultimately be the case but Roethlisberger says no decisions have been made about his status, and he wants to play on Saturday.

So will Roethlisberger play? I don’t think there’s an answer to that right now. More than likely, this comes down to a game-time decision and in the past Roethilsberger seems to always end up playing in those situations.

As Ben Roethlisberger hobbled around the field on Monday night, it was clear the injured Steelers quarterback was nowhere near 100 percent -- perhaps closer to 50 percent. Facing a stout San Francisco 49ers defense, Roethlisberger threw for over 300 yards, but failed to find the end zone while turning the ball over four times -- three interceptions and a fumble. With a 20-3 loss, Pittsburgh’s hopes of winning the AFC North are all but out the window, leaving many to wonder if it’s time to sit Roethlisberger for the rest of the season.

The Steelers are already hinting strongly that Roethlisberger may sit this weekend. Sports Illustrated’s Chris Burke argues the Steelers need to sit their ailing quarterback -- at least in Week 16, if not the following week, as well -- to succeed in the playoffs.

Resting Big Ben might be a smarter move for the Steelers, keeping their quarterback fresh for the playoffs rather than put him at further risk against the Rams and the Browns.

It took all the way until the last minute to decide if Roethlisberger would be active, and according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Tribune-Review, it looked rather iffy if Big Ben was going to play in the game.

For more on Roethlisberger and the Steelers, check out Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on Monday Night Football, follow this StoryStream.

But now ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that his status is still unknown. Instead, he’ll be a true game-time decision. The Steelers play the 49ers at 8:30 p.m. (ET).

So stay tuned for the latest on on Roethlisberger. If he’s out, there are going to be some nervous fans at SB Nation’s Behind The Steel Curtain.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams. Follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.

The pain was reportedly severe enough on Thursday to cast doubts on his ability to play, and many, including Peter King, assumed earlier in the week that Roethlisberger would have to sit out this week. Playing through injuries has become something of a trademark for Roethlisberger, and the long week certainly works to his advantage.

For more on Roethlisberger and the Steelers, check out Behind the Steel Curtain.

Roethlisberger originally hurt his ankle in the first half of the Steelers game last week on Thursday Night Football. The quarterback played in the second half, albeit a bit limited, and expects to try it out after having a longer week than usual to recover according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

As was the case on Monday and Wednesday, Roethlisberger will not practice on Thursday. On Wednesday, head coach Mike Tomlin indicated that going through a full practice may not be necessary for Roethlisberger to play on Monday night.

For more on Roethlisberger’s ankle and the Steelers, check out Behind the Steel Curtain.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said today that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is questionable for their Week 15 game against the San Francisco 49ers, according to Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Roethlisberger has a Grade 1 high ankle sprain, the least serious among the various degrees of the injury. Tomlin added that his quarterback will have to practice “in some form or fashion” this week in order to play this week.

Fortunately for the Steelers, they play on Monday Night Football. That gives Roethlisberger an extra day to rest the ankle sprain. High ankle sprains can be notoriously painful and limit a player’s mobility. However, Roethlisberger is notorious for playing through injuries, and he did return to finish the game against Cleveland last Sunday.

Here’s video of the cringe-worthy injury.

Roethlisberger left the game with Steelers fans fearing an serious injury.