Ben Roethlisberger was one of four players the Steelers put on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, but there’s no need for panic yet.
A team source told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac that Roethlisberger has tested negative for the virus, and the QB will do his work remotely this week along with Jaylen Samuels, Jerald Hawkins and Vince Williams, who were also placed on the list one day after Vance McDonald tested positive for the virus.
I actually think Mike Tomlin should give Roethlisberger the day off Sunday and hold him out of Sunday’s game against the Bengals.
Why not give him a rest and in essence another bye week? His body could use it. Roethlisberger isn’t a twenty-something anymore; he is 38 and has a lot of miles on his tires, so to speak.
Tomlin should preserve Roethlisberger’s body for a week, let him rest up and make sure his knees have a chance to recover.
Roethlisberger injured both of his knees in the game against the Cowboys on Sunday according to multiple media outlets. It doesn’t seem like these are serious injuries, but bumps and bruises for a younger player can become a lingering or chronic issue for an older one.
Tomlin understands that Roethlisberger needs rest. He even said Tuesday that it isn’t the worst thing in the world that the Steelers will have to do a lot of things this week remotely.
“It also gives their body a chance to get some much-needed rest,” Tomlin said. “We’re optimistic those guys will be their normal selves if they play this weekend.”
Sports talk radio hosts spent a lot of Tuesday debating the merits of Josh Dobbs vs. Mason Rudolph. I’m not sure there is a difference, but as a talk show host myself, I acknowledge it makes for easy content.
Who knows if the Steelers can beat the Bengals without Roethlisberger? The goal for the Steelers shouldn’t be to go undefeated. It should be to win once the playoffs start, and they won’t do that with Roethlisberger at less than 100% (or something close to that).
At 8-0, they have built a little margin for error in the second half of the season. This is a big picture decision for Tomlin, not a one-week decision.
Would you rather have a 13-3 team that has to play the AFC championship at Arrowhead Stadium against the Chiefs with a healthy and rested Roethlisberger or a 15-1 team that plays host to those same Chiefs with Roethlisberger running on fumes and on a gimpy leg? In the NBA, they call it load management.
Roethlisberger, I’m sure, wouldn’t want to be held out of a game when he is capable of playing. We all know he is a warrior, and this season could be his last, best shot at winning another Super Bowl. The team is playing well, the defense is pretty good, the receivers are getting better every week and the team has a mental toughness about it that suggests it can win in the playoffs.
The Steelers need to be smart here, take advantage of this situation and make it work in their favor.
Paul Zeise: pzeise@post-gazette.com or Twitter: @paulzeise
First Published: November 10, 2020, 8:15 p.m.
