Ben Roethlisberger - Pro Football Rumors

Playoff Injury Updates: 1/10/16

January 10th, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some of the more notable injury news from yesterday’s playoff games. We will update this post as necessary throughout the day as Wild Card Weekend rolls on:

Although it’s likely Roethlisberger attempts to play in the Steelers’ first divisional playoff contest since 2010, the Steelers expect him to be “severely limited” next weekend against the Broncos, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole reports (video link). Using the 12th-year quarterback’s pain level before he re-entered in time for Pittsburgh’s last-ditch drive as a gauge, sources told Cole that Roethlisberger won’t have his usual array of physical tools available to him by the time the Steelers take the field in Denver.

Earlier updates:

The Chiefs got some great news, as receiver Jeremy Maclin avoided a torn ACL during last night’s win over the Texans, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Although Maclin did suffer a high ankle sprain, there’s a chance he plays against the Patriots next week.
Roethlisberger will undergo an MRI today, and though he does not have a broken collarbone, the belief is that he has a sprained AC joint (or, in layman’s terms, a separated shoulder). The MRI will provide more details (all Twitter links via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).

Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was diagnosed with a concussion following the much-discussed blow to the head he absorbed from Vontaze Burfict and will enter the league’s concussion protocol, per head coach Mike Tomlin (article via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com). Brown’s availability for next week’s matchup with the Broncos is now very much in doubt.

The Steelers may have wound up on the winning side of last night’s bizarre tilt with the Bengals, but in addition to the potential loss of Brown, Pittsburgh could be without its starting quarterback next week. Ben Roethlisberger sustained an injury to his throwing shoulder following a (legal) hit from Burfict, and the fact that Landry Jones came onto the field in Roethlisberger’s place for what everyone believed would be Pittsburgh’s final drive of the game speaks volumes about the severity of the injury. Although Roethlisberger ultimately did return for what proved to be the game-winning, penalty-aided drive, he told the coaches that he was in a great deal of pain and would not be able to take any deep shots to the end zone (article via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler). As for his availability for his team’s clash with Denver next week, Roethlisberger said, “I’m going to give everything I can.”
With his team now eliminated from the playoffs, Texans star DE J.J. Watt says that he will undergo groin surgery on Tuesday (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Watt, who was in obvious pain in yesterday’s loss to the Chiefs, said he has been dealing with the groin injury for the past six or seven weeks. As yet, there is no indication whether the surgery will impact Watt’s availability for offseason workouts, training camp, etc.

Injury Updates: Gronk, Pouncey, Carrington

November 30th, 2015 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the Patriots‘ first loss last night, initial reports indicated that Rob Gronkowski‘s knee injury may not be as serious as it initially looked, and recent reports have continued to suggest as much. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the New England tight end is unlikely to miss more than one game, and perhaps won’t even miss any time. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets that the club’s initial diagnosis is a “relatively minor non-ACL sprain.”

Still, the results of Gronkowski’s MRI aren’t in yet, so the Patriots won’t breathe easy until they get confirmation of their initial diagnosis. For now though, it looks like the club may have avoided a worst-case scenario for the star tight end, since his reaction to the hit on his knee had most of us expecting a season-ending injury.

Let’s round up a few more injury updates from across the NFL….

Another AFC East injury not as serious as initially feared? Mike Pouncey‘s foot ailment, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Rapoport tweets that the Dolphins center has a minor foot sprain, and that it’s not believed to be a Lisfranc injury. Still, the Dolphins are expected to search for help at center, per Salguero, who tweets that Samson Satele “should probably pick up the phone.”
The Bills didn’t get good news on defensive end Alex Carrington, who tore his quad tendon and is undergoing season-ending surgery today, according to Rapoport (Twitter link). It’s the latest blow to a Buffalo defensive line that was already missing Kyle Williams – who is out for the year – and Mario Williams on Sunday.
Rapoport also provides an update on Ben Roethlisberger, tweeting that, while the Steelers quarterback placed himself in the concussion protocol, he may not have suffered a concussion on Sunday, and could be cleared for Week 13.
49ers tight end Garrett Celek is out indefinitely due to a high ankle sprain, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Celek, who has caught 19 balls for the team this year, went down with the injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.

Ben Roethlisberger To Miss “A Few Weeks”

November 8th, 2015 at 9:35pm CST by Rob DiRe

9:32pm: Adam Schefter confirms initial suggestions that Roethlisberger will miss next week’s game against the Browns and rest during the following bye week (via Twitter). He does add that the Steelers quarterback is likely to return to action in Week 12 against the Seahawks.

5:53pm: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left today’s victory over the Raiders with a foot injury. Initial X-rays on the foot were negative, reports Richard Graves of Sky Sports UK (via Twitter). He adds that Roethlisberger will have an MRI tomorrow.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the injury is actually a mid-ankle sprain, and should hold Roethlisberger out a few weeks (via Twitter). Pittsburgh has the Browns next week followed by the bye week, and the veteran signal-caller will likely be re-evaluated after that (via Twitter). The team originally believed he had suffered a Lisfranc injury, and were relieved that it was not so severe.

While Roethlisberger will rest the next two weeks, Albert Breer of NFL Network writes that the timetable for his return will depend on how he responds to treatment (via Twitter). Breer believes the actual return date is up in the air, while Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that he might miss several more games past the next two weeks (via Twitter).

The Steelers will now look to Landry Jones, who finished the game strong for the team. Pittsburgh will continue to lean heavily on Antonio Brown and the running game. Michael Vick will serve as the backup, but he was injured last we saw him and the team could consider bringing in a third option during the week.

Injury Updates: Big Ben, Lewis, Hankins, Cole

November 8th, 2015 at 8:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here’s a look at some more injury news from today’s games:

Bills running back LeSean McCoy injured his shoulder in the victory over the Dolphins today, and will probably have an MRI in advance of Thursday’s game against the Jets, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr was spotted wearing a cast on his arm following the overtime win over St. Louis, writes Jason Gonzalez of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The team staff helped him carry his bag while exiting the locker room.
Adam Schefter adds to the reports about Lewis’ injury, noting that the Patriots running back has no swelling, which is a good sign. However his ACL is loose, which is a bad sign. Ultimately, they are still waiting on the MRI (via Twitter).

Earlier Updates:

The Patriots are awaiting the results of an MRI on running back Dion Lewis, but the club is hopeful that he only suffered an MCL sprain, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Regardless, Lewis figures to miss some time, prompting New England to turn to LeGarrette Blount as the team’s primary back.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left today’s game against the Raiders with a foot injury, and was eventually taken to a hospital for further evaluation, per Pittsburgh’s PR staff (Twitter link). Roethlisberger was unable to put any weight on his left foot, and head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters, including Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), that the veteran QB will undergo an MRI. Roethlisberger, of course, just returned to action after missing several weeks with an MCL sprain.
Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins suffered a torn pectoral during today’s game against the Buccaneers, the team announced on Twitter. While there has been no official announcement, such an injury is expected to be season-ending.
Vikings backup linebacker Audie Cole fractured his ankle today, head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters, including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Per Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link), Zimmer confirmed that Cole will miss the remainder of the season. Cole hasn’t been a factor on the Vikings’ defense, but he was playing more than half of the club’s special teams snaps.

AFC Notes: Steelers, Browns, Jets, Pats

October 24th, 2015 at 7:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Some news and notes from around the AFC:

While Ben Roethlisberger might be healthy enough to play Sunday, he’s set to be inactive and the Steelers will start Landry Jones at quarterback. The decision to keep Roethlisberger off the field for another week was influenced by both a desire to steer him clear of the Chiefs’ pass rush (specifically Justin Houston and Tamba Hali) and Pittsburgh’s need to have him as healthy as possible for a Week 8 showdown with AFC North-leading Cincinnati, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder (via Twitter).
The Browns’ defense has been a colossal disappointment this season (31st in yards per game, 24th in points), but there is disagreement from within as to why, Bud Shaw of the Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. Some members of the defense have questioned the scheme, while coordinator Jim O’Neil has pointed to a lack of execution on the field. Whatever the problem is, things could get worse Sunday against Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley – who is averaging a stellar 5.7 yards per carry and looks primed to bludgeon Cleveland’s last-ranked ground defense.
Former Jets head coach Rex Ryan was known for hyping up games against AFC East rival New England during his time in New York. His successor, Todd Bowles, has a calmer outlook as his 4-1 club looks to seize first place in the division from the 5-0 Pats on Sunday. “We’re going to take the same approach we’ve been taking,” Bowles said, according to Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. “You don’t get up or down for one game because it means you haven’t been playing hard in the first place.”
The Patriots’ cornerback stable has spent a great deal of time in flux going back to the offseason: Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Arrington – all of whom played key roles last year – are gone, two replacements were cut during the summer, and another (Tarell Brown) landed on season-ending injured reserve earlier this month. Luckily for the Pats, the emergence of Logan Ryan in a starting role opposite No. 1 corner Malcolm Butler has helped their secondary avoid any serious turmoil, writes Mike Petraglia of WEEI.
The Jets were so hard up for a replacement for injured punter Ryan Quigley that they didn’t even work out Steve Weatherford before signing him Saturday, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).

Ben Roethlisberger Sprains MCL, Out 4-6 Weeks

September 27th, 2015 at 8:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

9:08 pm: In addition to an MCL sprain, Roethlisberger also suffered a bone bruise, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

9:00pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms La Canfora’s report regarding Roethlisberger’s injury. Schefter presents a different timetable, though, as his source expects Roethlisberger to miss six weeks (Twitter link).

8:45pm: An MRI confirmed an MCL sprain for Roethlisberger, reports CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (via Twitter). There’s no damage to his ACL, and he’s expected to miss four weeks.

4:40pm: Roethlisberger is expected to miss at least four weeks, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

4:28pm: The Steelers are “hopeful” that Roethlisberger’s ACL is intact, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

3:51pm: Roethlisberger didn’t break any bones, but he will need to undergo an MRI to determine if he suffered any ligament damage, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

3:14pm: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was carted off the field during today’s game against the Rams after suffering a left knee injury. The club has announced he will not return, meaning that backup Michael Vick will navigate the offense for the remainder of the contest.

Needless to say, losing Roethlisberger for any amount of time would be devastating to a Steelers offense that ranked No. 1 in offensive DVOA during the 2014 season. Reothlisberger had been enjoying a typically outstanding season, completing more than 70% of his passes for more than 700 yards and four touchdowns during Pittsburgh’s first two games, during which the Steelers had posted a 1-1 record.

If Roethlisberger is out for a significant period of time, Vick will continue to act as Pittsburgh’s signal-caller. Vick was signed in late August after Bruce Gradkowski suffered a season-ending injury; Landry Jones, a former third-rounder, would presumably act as the No. 2 from here on out.

Losing Roethlisberger would be the latest blow to the Steelers offense, which missed Le’Veon Bell for two games due to suspension, and continues to play without receiver Martavis Bryant (suspension) and center Maurkice Pouncey (injury).

AFC North Notes: Rice, Green, Beachum

July 27th, 2015 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

Tony Porter and Ted Bunch – the co-founders of a national organization that encourages men to end violence against women – are among those advocating that former Ravens running back Ray Rice get a second chance in the NFL, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

“We have been around a lot of abusive men, but our experience with Ray has been tremendously positive,” Porter said. “We feel strongly about him having the opportunity of having a second chance. He’s deserving of it.”

While we wait to see if an NFL team takes a flier on Rice this summer, let’s check in on some others notes from out of the AFC North….

We heard yesterday that the Bengals would like to get a new deal done with A.J. Green in 2015, and Coley Harvey of ESPN.com confirms, via a source, that the team is “happy to have that discussion now” with the star wideout. However, the club isn’t sure whether Green wants to get something done right away, or if he prefers to wait until after the season.
On the same day the Steelers extended general manager Kevin Colbert through 2018, we heard that the team had also begun discussing a new deal with left tackle Kelvin Beachum. Beachum tells Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he isn’t concerned about his contract situation, suggesting that he’ll “let the business people take care of the business stuff.” As Fittipaldo observes, if the Steelers decide to extend Beachum and guard David DeCastro, the club would likely have the most expensive offensive line in the NFL.
After signing a new four-year extension with the Steelers this offseason, Ben Roethlisberger may be playing on his final NFL contract, but he’s not ready to consider his long-term future or his legacy quite yet, says Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I treat my legacy the same way [as] when people ask me how much longer I am going to play,” Roethlisberger said. “Do I think about stats and Hall of Fame? No, because that is thinking about the end. If I think about the future, then I am cheating about right now.”

Sunday Roundup: Big Ben, Bradford, Borland

March 22nd, 2015 at 12:49pm CST by Rory Parks

As most of the sports world is fixated on the third round of the NCAA tournament, let’s take a look at a few notes from around the NFL:

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that Ben Roethlisberger‘s new contract will not prevent the Steelers from making necessary signings over the life of the deal.
Bears head coach John Fox is enthusiastic about the team’s recent signings, but he admits that his club has a lot of needs to address. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes, Fox prefers to be more active in the second wave of free agency rather than the first wave, when teams frequently overpay for a splash acquisition. Biggs expects the team to add at least one wide receiver, but that addition could come via the draft rather than the dwindling free agent market.
Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com looks at where the Lions stand vis-a-vis their own free agents two weeks into the free agency period.
Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes Sam Bradford will be the Eagles‘ quarterback in 2015, and possibly beyond.
The Dolphins lead the league in dead money, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. The team has $23.7MM of this year’s cap allocated to players who will not help them this season.
Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at a few of the names the Chargers could target in the draft as they look to bolster their pass rush.
The NFL is hosting the inaugural Veteran Combine today, which is “designated to showcase players who have already left college and many who have already played in the NFL to teams in an effort to be signed as free agents.” Although a number of prominent front office executives, like Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, are skeptical of the Combine’s value, all 32 teams are nonetheless doing their due diligence at the event. Kevin Bowen of Colts.com writes that the Combine has the Colts‘ interest, and Conor Orr of NFL.com tweets that Rick Spielman, Reggie McKenzie, and John Dorsey are among the top executives on hand.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at the true value of all of the contracts signed in the second week of free agency.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Ravens, T. Williams

March 16th, 2015 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The five-year, $99MM extension Ben Roethlisberger signed with the Steelers last week pays him more than $35MM in 2015, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who provides some details on the quarterback’s new deal. Bouchette reports that Big Ben gets a $31MM signing bonus, and could earn up to $9MM in incentives in later seasons, potentially increasing the total value of the contract to $108MM.

Here’s more from around the AFC North:

Free agent defensive back Sterling Moore, who paid a visit to the Buccaneers last week, has a meeting lined up with the Steelers this week, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. Non-tendered by the Cowboys, Moore arrives in Pittsburgh tonight and his visit with the team will continue tomorrow, per Anderson.
The Ravens ultimately signed Kendrick Lewis to address their need at safety, but the club also had interest in Ron Parker before he decided to return to Kansas City, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Speaking of Ravens’ secondary targets, Wilson reports in a separate piece for the Sun that Baltimore is currently eyeing cornerback Tramon Williams, who has also received interest from the division-rival Browns.
In a piece naming 10 of his favorite team-friendly deals of free agency so far, Grantland’s Bill Barnwell places the Ravens‘ signing of Justin Forsett atop his list.
Free agent wide receiver Cecil Shorts is paying a visit to the Texans this week, but the Ohio native doesn’t have a visit lined up with the Browns, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Earlier today, Cabot reported that the Browns attempted to trade for Larry Fitzgerald before he worked out a new contract with the Cardinals.

Steelers Sign Ben Roethlisberger To New Deal

March 14th, 2015 at 8:44am CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 8:44am: The five-year deal is worth $99MM, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). He notes that the value can increase to $108MM.

Albert Breer of the NFL Network reports (on Twitter) that Roethlisberger will make $65MM through the first three years, a record payout. Breer also points out that the reported money would give Ben Ben’s contract an average annual value of $21.85MM, right behind Aaron Rodgers’ league-leading $22MM AAV.

FRIDAY, 4:09pm: Roethlisberger has officially signed his new deal, which is a five-year pact, the team announced today (via Twitter). The contract keeps Big Ben locked up through the 2019 season.

2:35pm: The Steelers (on Twitter) announced that they have reached agreement with Ben Roethlisberger on a new contract. The two sides have been working on a reworked deal for some time.

GM Kevin Colbert told reporters last month at the combine that talks between the two sides were progressing. The GM was very confident that it could be done within a traditional cap structure, so that’s likely what we’ll see out of Pittsburgh.

Big Ben was set to enter the final year of his contract, earning a $11.6MM base to go along with a prorated $6.795MM, adding up to a massive $18.395MM cap number. The Steelers carried that amount plus $500K last season, but the new deal should smooth that out while giving the quarterback some additional years.

Even though Big Ben is getting up there in years, he boosted his stock with a strong 2014 campaign. The 33-year-old threw for a career-high 4,952 yards and completed 408-of-608 passes with 32 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The advanced metrics were also impressed with Roethlisberger’s play. The Pro Bowler finished the year with an overall score of 29.0 (per Pro Football Focus, subscription required), placing him third amongst all qualified quarterbacks behind Drew Brees (No. 2) and Aaron Rodgers (No. 1). That posting portrayed him as one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL as opposed to 2013, where he finished just outside of the top 10.