Ben Roethlisberger Should Be Ready for First Playoff Game

The Steelers haven’t been saying much about the concussion suffered by QB Ben Roethlisberger last weekend vs the Browns, but the good news is today it appears there is no doubt that the Super Bowl winning QB is going to start the teams first playoff game next Sunday at home.

The news came out in today’s Post-Gazette:

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger also is likely to start the next game when the Steelers open the playoffs at home. Sources yesterday described his concussion as “mild” or “low grade,” and coach Mike Tomlin would not rule out him practicing this week. Roethlisberger watched Steelers practice yesterday, then left quickly afterward without speaking to the news media. Tomlin said his quarterback will continue to undergo tests but sounded optimistic Roethlisberger will play Jan. 11th.

“He’s doing better,” Tomlin said. “He’s starting the process of taking the battery of tests that come after one sustains a concussion. I don’t know where we are in regards to those tests. We have less urgency this time around because we don’t play on Sunday, quite honestly.

“We will proceed slowly with him because we have that luxury. But we feel comfortable with where he is relative to Sunday and where he’s capable of being next week in preparation for our game.”

Roethlisberger was at the team’s practice session on Tuesday, but didn’t take part in any drills. The team will have more practices this week, but it wouldn’t be a shock if he sat them out. He should be ready to take part in next weeks practice sessions as they get set for the Colts, Chargers or Dolphins.