Ben Roethlisberger Injury: Updates on Steelers' Week 5 Status and Fantasy Value

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left the locker room with a boot on his left foot after Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans. His playing status for next week's game against the Tennessee Titans is unclear pending further tests.

Keep checking back to this page throughout the week for the latest news on Roethlisberger.

UPDATE: Sunday, Oct. 9 at 2:21 p.m. EDT by Matt Faulconer

It doesn't look like Big Ben's injury is slowing him down much at this point. Ben has already thrown for three touchdowns today, and has become just the second Steeler to reach 150 career touchdowns according to KDKA-TV Pittsburgh's Jory Rand.

It seems as if you should have played Big Ben in your fantasy league this week, despite the fact that he was limping prior to the game.

UPDATE: Sunday, Oct. 9 at 12:59 p.m. EDT by Donald Wood

The Pittsburgh Steelers are hardly ever without their star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and they will have him Sunday when they take on the Tennessee Titans as well.

ESPN is reporting about Ben Roethlisberger’s status and situation for Sunday’s game:

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With a sprained left foot, Roethlisberger moved around Heinz Field during pre-game warmups with a bad limp. When the Steelers sprinted to midfield, Roethlisberger could barely go at half speed. He is wearing a shoe that is one size bigger than his usual one with a steel plate on the bottom to stabilize the foot.

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While Big Ben may be starting, he should not be starting on your fantasy team with the terrible year he has had, the porous offensive line and the injured ankle all making things tougher.

UPDATE: Saturday, Oct. 8 at 2:30 p.m. EDT by Donald Wood

The Pittsburgh Steelers need their star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to be playing at his best to win this season, and it looks like an ankle injury suffered last week won’t keep Ben out of the lineup.

NFL Insider Adam Schefter is reporting on twitter about Big Ben’s availability for Sunday’s game against the Titans:

While Big Ben playing is a good thing for Steelers nation, the fantasy owners of Roethlisberger can’t be starting the quarterback with any confidence. If you have a better option at QB, use it because while Big Ben is healthy his offensive line is not.

Thursday, Oct. 6 at 10:35 a.m. EDT by Matt Faulconer

Adam Schefter of ESPN has tweeted that Big Ben will be able to play on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, despite his foot injury.

This is good news for Steelers fans, but fantasy owners should still keep him on the bench. He hasn't been overly productive this season, and faces one of the best pass defenses in the NFL this week. If you have an alternative, keep him on the bench.

Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 2:55 p.m EDT by Tim Daniels

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports there is no structural damage in Roethlisberger's foot, which is great news for his playing status not only this week, but moving forward as well. It would have been difficult to play through that much been until season's end.

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Roethlisberger still wears a protective boot and will not practice today, although he participated in this morning's walk-through. He said he will wear a redesigned shoe for Sunday's game against Tennessee, much as he did last season to protect a broken bone in his right foot. As with that one, the shoe for his left foot will included a metal plate for protection.

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Keep checking back as more opinions about his Week 5 fantasy value become available shortly.

Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 1:20 p.m. EDT by Tim Daniels

Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweeted that Roethlisberger and the Steelers are proceeding with caution when it comes to Ben's left foot. Things continue to trend in the right direction for Pittsburgh's star quarterback, though.

The fact that he's able to walk "comfortably" is a great sign. He'll probably be listed as questionable on the injury report but, unless something unexpected happens, he should play. Keep checking back for the latest news and fantasy information.

Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 12:55 p.m. EDT by Donald Wood

The Pittsburgh Steelers are not as good as we thought they would be, especially on the offensive line. Don’t believe me; just ask star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger how good the team has been blocking for him.

ESPN NFL insider John Clayton is reporting about Big Ben’s status for Sunday’s game against the Titans:

While nothing under the sun will keep Big Ben off the field, that doesn’t mean he should be the starting quarterback on your fantasy team. With the Steelers facing a tough Tennessee Titans secondary, you would be smart to look elsewhere for a starting quarterback Sunday.

Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 12:20 p.m. ET by Eric Bowman

Gerry Dulac covers the Steelers for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and he tweeted the latest information on Roethlisberger's foot. 

This isn't good news for the Steelers, but of course Roethlisberger expects to play. The key will be staying healthy throughout the game, however, you know the Titans will be gunning for his foot. 

On SportsCenter this morning, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said, "Ben had his foot x-rayed, MRI, thankfully nothing is broken there. It is a sprain, may limit him early portions of the week but we anticipate him being ale to participate in football game." 

The man can play through the pain, but if he gets stepped on in the pile or rolled on top of during a sack it could get a lot worse.

Ben will more than likely play on Sunday, and decided whether or not to start him on your fantasy team all depends on who your backup quarterback is. I wouldn't risk playing Roethlisberger, but that's only because I know I'd have a solid backup for him if he were on my team.   

Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 8:25 a.m. ET by Eric Bowman

Roethlisberger must not feel any pain because he fully expects to play. He told Associated Press reporters that he'll do whatever it takes. Per LA Times: 

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"We saw I had to do that last year; I casted up my foot for the last half of the year," [Roethlisberger] said. "If we have to do it, I'll do it."

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This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone because Roethlisberger is just that type of guy who wants to be out on the field all the time. With the possibility of Rashard Mendenhall being unable to play, Roethlisberger might be pushing it too hard here to be on the field Sunday against the Titans. 

Continue to monitor his status as the week goes on if you have him on your fantasy team. If he plays then it's a risky move on whether or not to start him. It really depends on who you have as a backup quarterback or who is available for you. 

For now, we'll be on the look out for further updates on Roethlisberger's status. It's uncertain now, but more news should come out today about the condition of his foot. 

Monday, Oct. 3 at 4:10 p.m. EDT

Will Graves of the Associated Press reports that Roethlisberger will undergo an MRI today to get a better understanding of what is wrong with his foot.

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The quarterback was scheduled to undergo an MRI on his left foot on Monday after injuring the foot on Pittsburgh’s final drive in Sunday’s 17-10 loss to Houston. Roethlisberger remained in the game but walked out of the locker room afterward on crutches with the foot in a protective boot.

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The general consensus continues to be that Big Ben is going to play through the pain like he did last season. That could change depending on what the MRI reveals, though.

Monday, Oct. 3 at 1:05 p.m. EDT

Another update comes in via Twitter from the account NFL Virtual Reality that echoes the statement made by Mortensen in the prior update. All reports are pointing toward a sprain in the lower leg with no sign of a break.

While It's still early, the news continues to be good for Roethlisberger. He played a large portion of last season with a protective cast on his foot, so he should be able to overcome a sprain.

Monday, Oct. 3 at 12:20 p.m. EDT

Chris Mortensen of ESPN has sources that are telling him Roethlisberger's injury is only a sprain, which is good news for Steeler fans and fantasy owners. That said, there is still no guarantee that the veteran quarterback will play next weekend.

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Ben Roethlisberger has a sprained left foot, team sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen. The sources, however, would not speculate on the quarterback's status for the Pittsburgh Steelers' game Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

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A sprain would probably be the best-case scenario for Big Ben. The entire offense has been out of sync in the early going and losing him for an extended period would only cause more problems.

Monday, Oct. 3 at 12:10 p.m. EDT

The first update on the injury came from the Steelers Digest, which tweeted that Roethlisberger boarded the flight back to Pittsburgh using crutches. While it's not uncommon for a player to use crutches for precautionary reasons, the worry was that Big Ben had a larger issue.

Roethlisberger will probably end up being a game-time decision on Sunday unless the testing shows a major issue.