Ben Roethlisberger is one tough son of a gun and we all know this. He’s won two Super Bowls and taken more hits than Ultimate Uno in the process. He’s even survived a head-on collision with another motorcycle – while helmetless.
He definitely lives the life of a veteran NFL QB. Minor nicks, cuts, strains and tweaks are a part of the game, and as a QB gets older, so are “minor” surgeries.
The Steelers say that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger underwent a minor surgery on his right knee on Wednesday. USA Today reports he had an arthroscopic procedure to remove cartilage in his knee. Regardless of the severity, NFL Network says he’ll be ready to rock in six weeks.
“We advised him to get the surgery done to ensure he will be completely healthy for the start of training camp,” HC Mike Tomlin said in a statement. “This surgery will have no long-term effects on his health.”
The Steelers better hope so. The surgery is serious enough that he’ll miss minicamp, and that’s just one more setback to an offense that is in its second season under OC Todd Haley and has lost No. 1 receiver Mike Wallace during the offseason. Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown are solid secondary cats, but you’d have to assume that the Steelers will try to upgrade their receiving corps before the season begins. If Big Ben’s already limited mobility is further compromised and his knees continue to plague him, wide receiver won’t be the only position the Steelers need an upgrade at.
Maybe Big Ben’s knees were on the mind of Steelers brass when they selected Landry Jones from Oklahoma with the 115th pick of the fourth-round. Some media pundits questioned that move, but Big Ben’s entering his eighth year. As much as the Steelers are downplaying it, Roethlisberger’s injury tally is cause for alarm.
