Ben Roethlisberger injury: Steelers QB will start Week 14

After progressing last week, it was determined that Roethlisberger’s arm strength would determine his availability for Week 13. Ultimately, Tomlin decided that Roethlisberger was not yet ready to return.

After participating in his second consecutive practice this week on Thursday, Tomlin was comfortable enough to allow Roethlisberger to play, via the Steelers’ official site:

The Steelers have a favorable schedule in that pursuit of the postseason, finishing with three of their last four games at Heinz Field -- beginning with slumping San Diego this Sunday.

Roethlisberger, who has missed the past three weeks with shoulder and chest injuries, will be on the practice field this week, said head coach Mike Tomlin at his weekly press conference, but he said the QB will need to prove he’s healthy enough to start (via Mike Prisuta).

Earlier in the day, ESPN’s Ed Werder reported a source told him Roethlisberger’s soreness in his shoulder and chest was diminishing.

According to the SB Nation blog Behind the Steel Curtain, head coach Mike Tomlin should address whether or not Roethlisberger, who missed the last three games with shoulder and chest injuries, will practice this week during his Tuesday press conference.

In the last three weeks without Roethlisberger, the Steelers have compiled a 1-2 record.

According to reports from earlier in the week, Roethlisberger’s status was going to be determined based upon his arm strength more so than his ability to deal with the pain. Mark Kabloy of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that if he were to play, he would wear extra padding (which included a layer of Kevlar), to protect the area around his heart and ribs.

Prior to Roethlisberger’s injury, the Steelers were riding a four-game win streak and look poised to challenge the Ravens for the division lead.

Roethlisberger said the biggest hurdle to getting back on the the field is not pain, but ability. He wants to make sure he can put enough “zip” on the ball to get it where needs it to go. Roethlisberger said that although the pain is getting better, there was still pain and a lack of arm strength at Wednesday’s practice.

He said that the Pittsburgh training staff have “juiced up” his shoulder pads, adding more padding and Kevlar to help protect the sprained shoulder should Roethlisberger be able to play on Sunday. If Roethlisberger is a no-go, Batch will get the start.

The Steelers are 0-2 without Roethlisberger. They’ve scored just 24 points in two games without the two-time Pro Bowler.

The Steelers (6-5) travel to play the Ravens (9-2) at 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.

He is expected to return to practice on Wednesday, but a return to game action will be determined based upon how well he can play with the injuries, not on his ability to tolerate the pain. Roethlisberger had previously stated on Sunday that he was hoping to return against Baltimore.

Of course, whether Roethlisberger is even medically cleared is another question, but Big Ben says he wants to do all he can in order to be on the field.

The Steelers could certainly use their future Hall-of-Fame quarterback, with the team losers of two straight and on the verge of falling out of a playoff spot.

Call this the weekend of the backup quarterback in the NFL.

Four starting quarterbacks went down with injuries last week, putting their status for Week 11 in jeopardy.

After the Steelers opened as 4.5-point home favorites, the spread has swung seven points in a few hours Wednesday, with lots of additional downward pressure before gametime.

”It’s about the only way you see NFL line moves of that strength - when a starting QB goes down,” said Jack Randall of OddsShark.com.

The PIttsburgh Steelers saw their worst fears realized when Ben Roethlisberger went down in Monday’s game after being sandwiched by two Chiefs linebackers. Roethlisberger did not return to the game and has since been ruled outfor Sunday’s game against the Ravens. He will be replaced by Byron Leftwich.

This is not a good time for the Steelers to lose their quarterback. They face the Ravens in two of the next three weeks, and both games will be critical to the playoff race in the AFC North.

The Steelers have already ruled out Roethlisberger for Week 11, and reports Wednesday point toward an extended absence for the quarterback. SB Nation’s medical contributor Dr. Ali Mohamadi offered some insight into the nature of the injury and the recovery process on Tuesday:

St. Louis Rams receiver Danny Amendola suffered a similar rare injury when he dislocated his clavicle in Week 5. He was able to return to action after four weeks on the shelf, but it is not clear how similar the two injuries are. Reports said the last documented case of an injury like Roethlisberger’s was a rugby player in 1998.

Its still unclear how severe the injury to Roethlisberger’s throwing shoulder is and how long he will be out. An ESPN reports say the injury could be significant.

In the meantime, Pittsburgh will turn to Leftwich who could start his first game since 2009. On Monday, Leftwich helped the Steelers complete their comeback victory by completing 7 of 14 attempts for 73 yards. It was the first time the 10-year veteran saw action since ‘10.

The Steelers beat the Chiefs in overtime Monday night, but the focus after the game is on Ben Roethlisberger and his right shoulder (and rightfully so; did you see that game?). Roethlisberger, who was seen being transported from the stadium to the hospital for an MRI, may have a separated shoulder, according to Yahoo! Sports Jason Cole.

The original diagnosis was that Roethlisberger’s shoulder was sprained, but that a more definitive answer would be known after the MRI was read, which would likely come on Tuesday, per Jason La Canfora.

According to Adam Schefter on Twitter, the full extent of Roethlisberger’s injury hasn’t been revealed yet, even to the team. The Steelers have only been told that Roethlisberger’s injured shoulder is sprained, but it could turn out to be separated.

The Steelers are in a primetime dogfight against the 1-7 Chiefs, as the Pittsburgh offense has sputtered throughout the evening. Roethlisberger is 9-of-18 for 84 yards and a touchdown -- a second-quarter strike to Mike Wallace.

Roethlisberger is renowned for playing through all manner of injuries, but this one was not immediately apparent following the hit. The bulky quarterback quickly left the field for the locker room as the offensive possession ended.