Ben Roethlisberger was knocked out of the second half of his team’s loss to the Seahawks Sunday after he injured his throwing arm on a pass in the second quarter. Big Ben grimaced from the bench through the second half as Mason Rudolph threw a pair of touchdowns and nearly marshaled a late comeback, and today it turns out the Steelers will have to rely on Rudolph for the rest of the year.
The team announced Monday that Roethlisberger would undergo surgery on his right elbow this week, which will keep him out for the rest of the season. ESPN reported that the 37-year-old didn’t want the surgery, but it’ll be the doctors’ decision to make. The quarterback had signed a two-year extension with the Steelers this offseason that will theoretically keep him with the team past his 40th birthday.
In addition to losing their franchise QB, the 0-2 Steelers are waiting to learn more about starting RB James Conner’s knee injury. Rudolph’s appearance yesterday was the first game action of his career, and he might be down a few options in the coming weeks. A word of advice: Consider Donte Moncrief as a last resort.