Details emerge on Ben Roethlisberger COVID-19 case situation

The Pittsburgh Steelers placed starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the team’s COVID-19 list, ruling him out for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions. Backup Mason Rudolph stepped in on short notice and led the Steelers to a 16-16 overtime tie against the Lions.

Following the news about Ben Roethlisberger’s positive COVID-19 test, NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport dug deeper into how the situation unfolded. He released what he found, along with a glowing endorsement, on Sunday morning.

“The backstory: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger self-reported symptoms to the team, took a test and was positive for COVID-19, source said,” Ian Rapaport posted on Twitter. “A great example of a player doing the right thing and preventing spread. Tough to self-report but a strong leadership move overall.”

His replacement, Mason Rudolph, went 30-for-50 with 242 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception in the starting role. Rudolph added four carries for 36 rushing yards. Pittsburgh is now 5-3-1 with a game against the Los Angeles Chargers next week.

The AFC North remains tight from top to bottom, with the 6-3 Baltimore Ravens on top and 5-5 Cleveland Browns at the bottom. After the Chargers, the Steelers face the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens on consecutive weeks, offering a chance to make or break the season.

Another Ben Roethlisberger update

ESPN’s Field Yates also gave an update on the return timeline for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after the news that he would be out Sunday. His vaccination status appears to play in the Steelers favor, minimizing the damage of his positive test.

“Ben Roethlisberger recently told the Dan Patrick Show that he is vaccinated, meaning it is possible he could return for next Sunday night’s game against the Chargers,” explained Yates on Twitter. “If he were unvaccinated, he would be ineligible to return before then. For now, he’s only ruled out for tomorrow.”

While the Steelers announcement came as a surprise so close to game time, the news of Roethlisberger vaccination comes as a relief for his return timeframe. For unvaccinated players, a positive test comes with a 10-day isolation period, which would have meant two missed games in Roethlisberger’s case.

However, because of the veteran’s vaccination, he can return to action as soon as he receives two negative tests within a 24-hour period. If tests are negative by next week, Roethlisberger could return to practice by Wednesday.