Ben Roethlisberger: Sitting Injured Steelers QB Is Mike Tomlin's Best Decision

Nothing official has been announced as of Wednesday afternoon, but at least one ESPN analyst thinks it's more than possible that the Pittsburgh Steelers will sit Ben Roethlisberger—who is dealing with a high-ankle sprain—in favor of backup Charlie Batch this Sunday against the St. Louis Rams. 

John Clayton, an NFL insider for ESPN, tweeted this out today:

It's hard to argue with Clayton's logic.

With Roethlisberger still dealing with the effects of the injury he suffered against the Cleveland Browns almost two weeks ago, it is time for Mike Tomlin to sit Big Ben and get him healthy for the playoffs.

The Steelers have already clinched a playoff spot, and the final two games matter only in postseason positioning.

Sure, the positioning is important, and the Steelers would still love to get a first-round bye. But the fact remains that, if Roethlisberger's ankle isn't more healthy than we saw Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, the Steelers' playoff positioning might not matter.

An ineffective Roethlisberger likely means a quick postseason exit.

Roethlisberger was obviously favoring the injured ankle on Monday night, and one could make an argument that his inability to drive off that foot was a major factor in his three back-breaking interceptions.

The only way for the ankle to heal is staying off it, and sitting Roethlisberger is the way to do that. 

If you're Tomlin, you have to believe your team can beat the 2-11 Rams at home with Batch starting. If you remember, Batch was 2-1 in games he played for Roethlisberger last season and 4-2 lifetime in games he's started with Pittsburgh. 

He's a clear downgrade, but you can still win games with him under center.

If Batch can beat the Rams, and the Steelers have a shot at the No. 2 seed in the AFC heading into Week 17, then you ponder starting Roethlisberger again.

This week, however, is a no-brainer decision. Roll the dice with Batch against a bad football team to give your team's most important player the time he needs to get healthy.

The Steelers can beat anyone in the NFL with everyone healthy, but if Roethlisberger isn't right, the Steelers are dead in the water.