Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger to be activated from COVID-19 list for SNF vs. Chargers
Big Ben is back.
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Saturday morning that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list after passing the required protocols and will play Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.
#Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will be activated to the team’s 53-man roster after passing the NFL’s required COVID-19 protocols. He will fly separate this afternoon from the team’s charter plane to Los Angeles with the expectation of starting Sunday night vs the #Chargers.
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) November 20, 2021
Roethlisberger was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Nov. 13, just one night before the Steelers' Week 10 game against the Detroit Lions. Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph started that game, and completed 30 of 50 passes for 242 yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception in a game that went into overtime and ended in a 16-16 tie.
As recently as Thursday it was unknown whether Roethlisberger would be cleared in time to start Week 11, where the Steelers are 6-point underdogs vs. the Chargers at BetMGM. Rudolph had been prepping to start even though he knew he might not, which by now is a pretty familiar situation for him.
"It's just the nature of being a backup quarterback right now," Rudolph told ESPN on Thursday. "There's ebb and flow. Coach Sully [quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan] calls it 'midstream adjust.' You've gotta adjust and always be ready. I think having those experiences with Cincy last year and over my career has helped me kind of be ready to flip on a dime.
"Finding out last Saturday night right before I went to the hotel, you kind of go through those storms and you're hardened from it."
