Ben Roethlisberger Officially Suspended By the NFL...And There's a Big Catch

After a ton of speculation on what may happen to and how may games he would be suspended, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had made his final decision on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

"“In your six years in the NFL, you have first thrilled and now disappointed a great many people," said Goodell to Roethlisberger, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

Roethlisberger will be suspended for six games of the 2010 regular season for violating the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy, but on top of that, Goodell said he has to undergo a comprehensive behavioral evaluation by medical professionals as well.

Plus, the commissioner said that the suspension can be reduced to four games, but also extended beyond six games according to Mortensen.

What does that mean?

It means that Roethlisberger will have to comply with whatever treatment is recommended by those medical professionals in order for him to make better decisions off the football field in his personal life.

On top of all this, Roethlisberger cannot participate in any off season activities with the Steelers until those same medical professionals clear him to do so.

No OTA's, no training camp, and no preseason until they deem he is ready.

This may go by quickly and smoothly, but this could also take a while to ensure Roethlisberger does not get himself into any more situations that could lead to trouble.

The Steelers anticipated this suspension and already acquired former backup quarterback Byron Leftwich from Tampa Bay for a late round draft pick, and they can now move forward with Leftwich, Charlie Batch, and Dennis Dixon until Roethlisberger is cleared to rejoin the team.

Also it has to be noted that Leftwich has been given a contract extension by the Steelers in lieu of the suspension which could lead to many thinking that Roethlisberger will get traded sooner than later.

The Steelers have been openly making calls to trade the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback, but unless another team is willing to wait through a six-game suspension, a trade seems harder to sell to another team unless the Steelers do not care about getting back a ton of value in exchange.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Steelers have contacted several teams about trading for Roethlisberger including: the Rams, 49ers, Raiders, Bills, Jaguars, Seahawks, and Browns.

This suspension changes the face of the AFC North division for the 2010 season now and unless one of the Steelers quarterbacks not named Roethlisberger can step up and play big, then it may be a long season for both the franchise and their fans.