Ben Roethlisberger is not your average quarterback. He’s big (real big), he’s mobile and, apparently, he’s indestructible. Every season, it seems as if Big Ben is smacked around to the point that he’s about to fall apart at the seams, and every season, he somehow manages to tough out the bumps, bruises and torn ligaments to lead his team to a victory.
Just this year, Big Ben was forced off the field in Week 9 with what looked to be a severe foot injury, only to return a week later, as the backup, to throw for 379 yards, three touchdowns and a win over the Cleveland Browns.
So when Denver heard that Roethlisberger had suffered a sprained AC joint and torn ligaments in his right (throwing) shoulder, I’m sure every Broncos fan thought the same thing: Oh, yeah, he’s playing.
And he probably will. All reports list Roethlisberger as probable for Sunday’s game. But don’t be mistaken, Big Ben IS NOT healthy.
Early Wednesday morning, Roethlisberger talked to the media, and he made it clear that this injury is more than just a nuisance; it’s a real problem.
Roethlisberger: “I would probably rather have an injury anywhere on my body other than my right shoulder.”
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) January 13, 2016
Ben Roethlisberger says just standing, shoulder feels fine. But he's instructed his kids: they can only climb on his left side.
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) January 13, 2016
And as of Wednesday morning, Roethlisberger has yet to throw a pass in preparation for this weekend’s playoff matchup versus the Broncos.
Roethlisberger says he doesn't know when he'll throw. Plans on getting "mental reps" today, says its "hour by hour."
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) January 13, 2016
Ben Roethlisberger doesn't say when he would need to throw by to feel ready for Sunday. Just says, "I'd like to throw every day."
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) January 13, 2016
Still, it’s not as if a quarterback hasn’t ever started after missing a few days of reps. If healthy, we should expect Roethlisberger to be just as good as ever, even after a week of limited practice. The thing, though, is that he’s not healthy, and from his words on Wednesday, even Big Ben is worried about his ability to throw the ball effectively.
Roethlisberger added "If I can't throw the ball more than 30 yards'' then he would have to tell Tomlin.
— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) January 13, 2016
Roethlisberger: "I'm not going to go out there if I'm not able to help the team."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 13, 2016
Roethlisberger: "I will be honest with (Tomlin) about how I feel, and if he doesn't like what he sees out there, then that's his call."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 13, 2016
Roethlisberger "I will be honest with coach … if he doesn't like what he sees out there'' that Roethlisberger would come out of game.
— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) January 13, 2016
Not to mention, the fact that Big Ben is set to suit up against the Denver Broncos defense has to weigh on his mind.
Roethlisberger: Broncos D is “No. 1 for a reason … we didn’t face them at full strength; we know that. We got lucky last time.”
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) January 13, 2016
Roethlisberger: Broncos D “is probably the biggest challenge of the year for us.”
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) January 13, 2016
Roethlisberger: “I don’t expect them to do anything dirty to hurt my shoulder … Denver is a classy organization, classy players.”
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) January 13, 2016
And with all that said, Roethlisberger will almost undoubtedly play on Sunday. All this talk may be nothing but a smokescreen, and we’ve seen it before. While Big Ben is as tough as they come, he’s also not afraid to let everyone know just how injured he is, all before coming out and valiantly leading the Steelers through the pain.
Roethlisberger: "If I have to go out and take some extra stuff to deal with the pain I'll do it."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 13, 2016
Roethlisberger: "I'll do whatever I can to get on that field without hurting the football team."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 13, 2016
Roethlisberger: "I always expect to play. Whether my body reacts the same way, I don't know. But I always expect to play."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 13, 2016
Whether he plays or not, this is all good news for the Denver Broncos.
