Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger activated from reserve/COVID-19 list, expected to start Sunday
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list and is expected to start against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Roethlisberger was removed from the list Saturday morning along with three others who were deemed to be “high risk” close contacts with tight end Vance McDonald, who went on the list Monday with a positive coronavirus test.
Roethlisberger’s body got a week of rest, but as he joked Saturday morning, his mind did not.
“My body enjoyed the week off,” he said. “My mind, from teaching pre-K, did not enjoy the week off. It was fun to be home with them, but I definitely miss the guys.”
Roethlisberger was cautious at home, wearing masks in the house and sleeping in a separate room from his wife. He also wore a mask any time he was in the car with his family. While he got tested every day, his family got tested every other day.
“You’re always nervous,” Roethlisberger said of spreading the virus. “My wife, we slept in opposite rooms. Things like that. My wife said, I don’t care if we get it, but we don’t want our kids to get it. You always care more about your kids than you care about yourself or anyone. We’ve been as safe as we can possibly be at home, I think.”
Linebacker Vince Williams, running back Jaylen Samuels and offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins were all taken off the list, although it’s likely only Roethlisberger and Williams, both longtime veterans, will play against the Bengals because of coach Mike Tomlin’s practice-to-play rule. All four were isolated for five days and could not practice with the team during the week.
In addition, the Steelers placed rookie guard Kevin Dotson on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday. He missed practice Friday with an illness. Running back Anthony McFarland also missed two practices this week with an “illness” and was held out as an added precaution. He didn’t go on the list with Dotson, but he is questionable to play Sunday.
Roethlisberger has missed practice before and still played in a game — like in 2015 when he missed practice all week nursing a foot injury and wound up throwing for nearly 400 yards against the Cleveland Browns after then-backup Landry Jones got hurt on the second series. This time, though, was different because Roethlisberger couldn’t physically be at practice and instead had to watch a recording without audio on an iPad at home.
“Typically, when I haven’t practiced, at least I’m on the field, behind the quarterbacks, hearing the calls that were made, hearing the playcall come in from the coach, [center Maurkice] Pouncey’s calls, things like that,” Roethlisberger said. “So as Coach Tomlin would say, the in-helmet perspective, even if you’re not out there, you at least can hear it and get part of it. It was definitely different. I watched every play of practice, but you just watch it on your iPad at home, so you don’t get to hear all those things.”
Without being able to hear the sounds of practice, Roethlisberger communicated with offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner and quarterbacks coach Matt Canada throughout the week to ask questions and get filled in on the game plan. He was also able to participate in virtual meetings and chimed in frequently, but he still missed being there in person.
“In today’s society, guys have an iPad in front of them, but they might also have their phone next to them looking at things or watching TV, whatever it might be,” Roethlisberger said. “I’m not saying that’s happening, but you just don’t know. When you are in a meeting room, you know everyone is dialed in, you know what is going on, so you can communicate a little bit easier in person. The hard part was practice. I couldn’t communicate at all, right, because everything was taped and sent to me, and there is no sound to it. So a lot of texts to Coach Randy, Coach Canada. What was this? What happened here? What did you think about? Just trying to find any way possible to communicate, a lot of text messages at night with those guys.”
The Steelers held an extended walk-through Saturday to give Roethlisberger some in-helmet work before Sunday’s game.
“If he comes off the protocol,” Tomlin said Friday, “we’re going to have an extended walk-through tomorrow just to give him an in-helmet perspective on some of the situational things to put the finishing touches on our work, to allow him to work with the eligibles he worked with in game, to have any necessary informal conversations that allow us to have a level of comfort as we push into play.”
The Steelers expected Roethlisberger to clear protocol and they prepared all week in anticipation of him starting against the Bengals. Even though Roethlisberger didn’t practice, the Steelers are confident in their 17-year veteran.
“I’m not overly concerned about it,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “This guy has been doing his job for 17 years. He’s got snap experience that he can call upon. We are still going to work extremely hard virtually to prepare. A lot of his work is above the neck anyway in terms of preparation. I have very little concern about it, to be quite honest with you.”
Roethlisberger was also added to the team’s injury report for Sunday with a knee injury, but he does not carry a designation.
Asked Tuesday about Roethlisberger’s knees from a hit sustained against the Cowboys that forced him to miss the final series before halftime, Tomlin downplayed the injury.
“Ben has some bumps and bruises associated with play that happened in the first half,” he said. “He was able to come back into the game and finish the game. … He is not in question.”