Steelers lose starting offensive lineman to injury against Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had trouble giving quarterback Ben Roethlisberger enough time to operate out of the pocket this season, and that problem could very well get worse after the loss of B.J. Finney.

Finney suffered a back injury this week against the Baltimore Ravens, and the Steelers quickly downgraded his status to out, ending his day early in the first quarter. In the meantime, Finney is being replaced by John Leglue.

Finney was taken into the medical tent in the middle of the Steelers’ opening drive, where he was evaluated by trainers for a few minutes. However, shortly thereafter, he was taken into the tunnel and back to the locker room.

According to a number of reports, Finney’s back has been a lingering issue this season, and it appears as though it merely flared up during the game, causing him to head to the locker room. The Steelers recently called up Zach Banner, an offensive lineman previously on the practice squad, giving the team slightly more depth as it operates without Finney.

Finney, a product of Kansas State, is in his first season of his second stint with the Steelers. A three-time second team All-American honoree and two-time first team All-Big 12 mention, Finney went undrafted but signed with the Steelers in 2015. He played in Pittsburgh from 2015 until 2019, before in 2020 signing with the Seahawks practice squad. He spent the 2020 season split between the Seahawks and Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squads, before returning to the Steelers in an active roster spot this year.

Roethlisberger, set to retire, loses Finney on OL

The news of losing yet another offensive linemen, for Steelers fans, might be the last story of concern given Saturday’s news cycle. That’s because shortly before Finney went down with an injury, reports surfaced that said Ben Roethlisberger will reportedly call it a career after 2021.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday afternoon that Roethlisberger has privately told former teammates and somemembers of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization that this year will be his final season before retiring. Roethlisberger has not made any statement to the public about retiring, nor did he answer any questions on the matter in the preseason; as Schefter noted, with the Steelers likely to be in the playoff hunt towards the end of the season, he probably won’t make such a declaration until the season ends.

Roethlisberger’s contract ends after the conclusion of the 2021 season, and it appears as though he will retire rather than seek any sort of extension. Should the Steelers opt to proceed with one of its two backups, the organization would have to choose between Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins.

Roethlisberger has thrown for over 62,000 passing yards in his 18-year NFL career, which ranks sixth in NFL history, and twice paced the NFL in passing yards. He’s thrown 410 touchdowns, good for eighth most in NFL history, to 207 interceptions, completing 64 percent of his NFL passes, and he’s also rushed for 1,374 yards and 19 touchdowns.