Byron Leftwich will start for the Pittsburgh Steelers at quarterback against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night as Ben Roethlisberger sits out due to injuries, the team announced Wednesday.
Roethlisberger, who has been diagnosed with a sprained shoulder, also suffered damage to his ribs Monday night, which a source familiar with the injury described to ESPN as rare and dangerous and of greater concern to the Steelers and team doctors than his shoulder injury.
Doctors are concerned that the quarterback's rib injury could lead to more internal damage if he were to play anytime soon.
Roethlisberger suffered the rib injury on the same hit that his shoulder was injured.
The Steelers' decision to be cautious with their franchise quarterback doesn't come as a surprise. A Steelers source had told ESPN on Monday that the team's staff was told: "Proceed with (backup quarterback Byron (Leftwich). It doesn't look like you're going to have Ben this week. We're looking at next week as a possibility as of right now."
At his news conference Tuesday, coach Mike Tomlin called Pittsburgh's franchise quarterback "questionable" but otherwise offered little detail Tuesday, less than 24 hours after Roethlisberger was pounded into the ground by Chiefs linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston in the third quarter of Pittsburgh's 16-13 overtime victory.
Tomlin described Roethlisberger's shoulder injury as an "SC sprain." The exact terminolgy of Roesthlisberger's injury is a sternoclavicular dislocation, according to ESPN medical analyst Dr. Michael Kaplan. In this type of injury, the central end of the clavicle separates from the sternum (chestbone). An uncommon injury, it is extremely painful with strong ligament tearing (sprain). The usual treatment for the injury is conservative (no surgery, with rest, sling and rehab). Typically it takes several weeks until a quarterback is able to return to passing accurately and with sufficient velocity.
Of the 137 games the Steelers have played since Roethlisberger's first season of 2004, he has missed 14, including his four-game suspension in 2010. In that span, Pittsburgh is 86-37 (.699) with its star QB and 9-5 (.643) without, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
When asked Tuesday how the playbook would change if Leftwich had to start, Tomlin said, "I don't know that it does."
"I try to prepare as if I am the starter every week," Leftwich said. "Nothing will change. I wish Ben the best. I hope he is healthy. Other than that I will be ready to go."
Leftwich replaced Roethlisberger and finished 7-of-14 for 73 yards in Monday night's victory.
Roethlisberger, who has been diagnosed with a sprained shoulder, also suffered damage to his ribs Monday night, which a source familiar with the injury described to ESPN as rare and dangerous and of greater concern to the Steelers and team doctors than his shoulder injury.
Doctors are concerned that the quarterback's rib injury could lead to more internal damage if he were to play anytime soon.
Roethlisberger suffered the rib injury on the same hit that his shoulder was injured.
The Steelers' decision to be cautious with their franchise quarterback doesn't come as a surprise. A Steelers source had told ESPN on Monday that the team's staff was told: "Proceed with (backup quarterback Byron (Leftwich). It doesn't look like you're going to have Ben this week. We're looking at next week as a possibility as of right now."
At his news conference Tuesday, coach Mike Tomlin called Pittsburgh's franchise quarterback "questionable" but otherwise offered little detail Tuesday, less than 24 hours after Roethlisberger was pounded into the ground by Chiefs linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston in the third quarter of Pittsburgh's 16-13 overtime victory.
Tomlin described Roethlisberger's shoulder injury as an "SC sprain." The exact terminolgy of Roesthlisberger's injury is a sternoclavicular dislocation, according to ESPN medical analyst Dr. Michael Kaplan. In this type of injury, the central end of the clavicle separates from the sternum (chestbone). An uncommon injury, it is extremely painful with strong ligament tearing (sprain). The usual treatment for the injury is conservative (no surgery, with rest, sling and rehab). Typically it takes several weeks until a quarterback is able to return to passing accurately and with sufficient velocity.
Of the 137 games the Steelers have played since Roethlisberger's first season of 2004, he has missed 14, including his four-game suspension in 2010. In that span, Pittsburgh is 86-37 (.699) with its star QB and 9-5 (.643) without, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
When asked Tuesday how the playbook would change if Leftwich had to start, Tomlin said, "I don't know that it does."
"I try to prepare as if I am the starter every week," Leftwich said. "Nothing will change. I wish Ben the best. I hope he is healthy. Other than that I will be ready to go."
Leftwich replaced Roethlisberger and finished 7-of-14 for 73 yards in Monday night's victory.
