The Steelers might be without Ben Roethlisberger longer than they thought following his surgery for a torn meniscus.
Latest from @mortreport…post-surgery outlook for Big Ben shifted from 2-3 wks to 4-6 wks. Steelers have NE, a bye, BAL, DAL, CLE on slate
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 19, 2016
The Steelers were “confident” that Roethlisberger’s absence would be short-term. Now there’s a chance he could miss five games. Four days after the Steelers go to Cleveland, they go to Indianapolis on Thanksgiving night.
Roethlisberger has been dinged up a lot in his career, playing a full 16-game season only three times. But he’s played in at least 12 games every year. If he’s out the full six weeks, he’ll fall short of that.
It also could jeopardize a Steelers’ season that began with such high hopes.
After not missing a game in 2013 and 2014, the 34-year-old Roethlisberger missed four games last season with various injuries. As Roethlisberger ages, the grim reality for the Steelers is that he could become more susceptible to injuries.
That makes it difficult to imagine Roethlisberger remaining an elite quarterback into his late 30s like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.
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