PITTSBURGH — For nearly 10 weeks of the regular season, the Steelers were the only team in the NFL to not have a player go on the league’s reserve/COVID-19 list. That changed Saturday night, and in the most significant way possible.
Starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been placed on the COVID-19 list and will not play Sunday against the Detroit Lions at Heinz Field, team spokesperson Burt Lauten announced via Twitter. Roethlisberger hasn’t missed a snap yet this year, and backup quarterback Mason Rudolph likely will take his place in the lineup.
The team is not required to disclose whether Roethlisberger is on the list because he has the virus, but Roethlisberger himself has said he is vaccinated. He could have been deemed a close contact with someone who has been infected, but under the league’s COVID-19 rules this year, vaccinated players aren’t required to quarantine in the event of close contact, so it is presumed that Roethlisberger tested positive. Because vaccinated players are subject to looser protocols this season, Roethlisberger has a good chance to be cleared to return in Week 11 against the Chargers, as long as he’s asymptomatic and receives two negative tests.
Of all weeks for such a sudden change at the most important position, this isn’t the worst situation for it. Not only are the Lions the only winless team in the NFL (0-8), but Roethlisberger ceded more practice snaps than usual. He practiced fully Friday but was held out Wednesday (a walk-through session) and Thursday with shoulder and pectoral injuries on a short week following the Monday night game against the Bears.
This is Roethlisberger’s second time on the COVID-19 list, which was instituted by the league last season. He missed a week of practice last year because he was a “close contact,” but was activated in time to face the Cincinnati Bengals that Sunday.
With Rudolph starting, No. 3 quarterback Dwayne Haskins figures to be active for game day for the first time in his Steelers career. This will be the first regular-season action for Rudolph since he started Week 17 last year at Cleveland. In the preseason, Rudolph threw for 299 yards without any touchdowns or interceptions on 27-of-36 passing over four games.
