Ben Roethlisberger expected to start without limitations vs. Broncos
Ben Roethlisberger has torn ligaments in his shoulder, but isn’t expected to be a limited thrower when he takes the field on Sunday.
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to have Ben Roethlisberger starting the team's Divisional matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday and he's reportedly able to make every throw, despite a shoulder injury.
Roethlisberger suffered a shoulder injury in the Steelers' Wild Card victory over the Cincinnati Bengals when he was sacked by Vontaze Burfict in the third quarter. After being carted off the field, Roethlisberger was sidelined for three series and then was able to return to the game. An MRI on Sunday revealed a sprained AC joint and some torn ligaments in Roethlisberger's right shoulder. Both Roethlisberger and head coach Mike Tomlin defined Roethlisberger's status early in the week as day-to-day.
While Roethlisberger was able to return to Saturday’s game against the Bengals, he was far from full strength. Roethlisberger told reporters after Saturday’s win that he had been unable to throw farther than 10 yards downfield. Tomlin said Tuesday that the team had Roethlisberger return to the game because the situation was dire.
“To be quite honest with you, I was banking on the fact that Cincinnati didn’t know that he couldn’t throw it farther than 10 yards,” Tomlin said.
That same issue isn’t expected to be the case on Sunday, though. Roethlisberger practiced on a limited basis on Wednesday and Thursday, but participated fully on Friday and had no problem making all the throws he is usually capable of making, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“Of course, the assumption would be, considering the type of injuries he has, that he’ll be a little limited today,” Rapoport said on NFL Network’s GameDay First on Sunday. “But my understanding is that’s not really the case. I would expect to see Roethlisberger -- arm-strength-wise -- actually himself on the field. They should have the full playbook available.”
Roethlisberger missed four games this season as he rehabbed a sprained MCL and a bone bruise he suffered against the St. Louis Rams in Week 3. He led the league this season in passing yards per game with 328.
In addition to Roethlisberger's shoulder injury, Pittsburgh's top receiver, Antonio Brown, was under the league's concussion protocol after suffering a concussion in the team's Wild Card win over the Bengals and eventually ruled out. Running back DeAngelo Williams will also miss another game after suffering a foot injury in the regular season finale.
The last time the Steelers faced the Broncos, Pittsburgh trailed by two touchdowns heading into the half, and a late-game comeback sealed a 34-27 victory for the Steelers. Roethlisberger completed 40 of 55 passes for 380 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
See More:
