The news that Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list was a bit stunning Saturday evening, forcing the Steelers’ quarterback to miss Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions at Heinz Field.
As a vaccinated player, the only way Roethlisberger could have landed on the list was if he tested positive for COVID-19. According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, that’s exactly what happened, as Roethlisberger had some symptoms, self-reported those symptoms and ultimately tested positive.
Appearing on the Dan Patrick Show last week, Roethlisberger confirmed he is vaccinated, meaning he is still eligible to play in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers and can return to practice as early as Wednesday, assuming he remains asymptomatic and has two negative tests 24 hours apart, according to the NFLPA’s official COVID-19 protocols.
The loss of Roethlisberger for the Lions game stings, especially as it comes less than 24 hours before kickoff against the 0-8 NFC North team. However, reports are backup quarterback and current starting quarterback (for Week 10) Mason Rudolph took most of the first-team reps in the last week of practice and should be more than ready to go in a spot start and a winnable game.
