Ben Roethlisberger leaves stadium with injury
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season could be poised to take an ugly turn.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left Monday night’s game with an injury to his passing shoulder after getting sandwiched by Tamba Hali and Justin Houston on a third-quarter sack against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Backup Byron Leftwich took over under center and helped the team grind out a 16:13 win in overtime.
Big Ben left the field about one minute into the second half. ESPN’s cameras showed him being taken away in a golf cart in the bowels at Heinz Field with his jersey and shoulder pads removed.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said following the game that Roethlisberger was being medically evaluated at a local hospital. ESPN reported he suffered a shoulder sprain.
Roethlisberger (who mentioned he’d been dealing with rotator cuff issues in training camp) has always been susceptible to nagging injuries but has missed just four starts due to injury in the past seven seasons.
Ben Roethlisberger.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left Monday night’s 16:13 overtime win against the Kansas City Chiefs with a right shoulder injury.
Sources told ESPN that Roethlisberger suffered a sprained shoulder.
Roethlisberger was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital to undergo further tests to determine the severity of the injury to his throwing shoulder, with a diagnosis expected sometime Tuesday, sources told ESPN.
Roethlisberger was sacked by Justin Houston to end Pittsburgh’s first possession of the second half. The quarterback was taken to the locker room after walking off the field, and backup Byron Leftwich began warming up. Roethlisberger finished 9-of-18 for 84 yards and a touchdown for the Steelers, who won their fourth straight game to improve to 6:3.
Coach Mike Tomlin wouldn’t speculate on the severity of Roethlisberger’s injury, and his status for Sunday’s showdown with AFC North leader Baltimore is uncertain.
“It didn’t seem like a tough hit … but he came to the sideline and next thing you know he was gone” – Pittsburgh left tackle Max Starks said. “I’m hoping it was nothing serious. Honestly it didn’t seem like it.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5whZMbe3Ra8
Two sources indicated that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a separated shoulder in Pittsburgh’s Monday night’s 13:10 overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Roethlisberger was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital for an MRI exam, according to his agent, Ryan Tollner. In addition, one source indicated that the injury is “unusual,” although it’s unclear if that is good or bad news.
“There’s a lot to be figured out and we probably won’t know anything definitive until the morning, but that’s what the [Steelers] team doctor said” – a source said.
Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten said there is no official word on the injury.
It’s unclear how long Roethlisberger could be out, but he left the field in the third quarter holding his right arm close to his body and was still holding it that way when he was wheeled out of the stadium on a golf cart before being taken to the hospital.
The Steelers have survived stretches of previous seasons without Roethlisberger, such as when they went 3:1 while he served a suspension to open the 2010 season. However, the Steelers haven’t had to play more than four games in a season without Roethlisberger since he was drafted in the first round in 2004. The Steelers play AFC North-rival Baltimore in two of the next three games.