Ben Roethlisberger will play on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals despite dealing with yet another injury. While the Pittsburgh Steelers likely appreciate the toughness, they may not be feeling great about their franchise quarterback these days.
The Steelers have privately expressed concern about Roethlisberger’s numerous injuries and deteriorating play, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports. Roethlisberger’s play fell off in the second half last season, and the offense has not looked good through the first two weeks of 2021.
Roethlisberger has been struggling to throw the ball downfield. He is now dealing with a pectoral muscle injury, so those issues could be magnified even more if he’s not fully healthy.
“The ball gets out in two seconds, or he gets hit. And he can’t shake ’em off like he used to,” one NFL executive told La Canfora. “I don’t think they can get him through the season like this.”
Roethlisberger took a pay cut to remain with the Steelers this season. The team has lost several key players and has a revamped offensive line, which has been a major problem through the early part of the season.
While it’s still very early in the year, even Roethlisberger has already felt the need to apologize to Steelers fans. This could very well be Big Ben’s last season in the NFL.
