Ben Roethlisberger’s 2019 season is over.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback underwent an MRI on his injured right elbow, and he will need season-ending surgery, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin revealed Tuesday.
Roethlisberger suffered the injury midway through the Steelers’ eventual 28-26 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph took over, completing 12 of 19 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns with an interception in relief. Now, it seems as if Rudolph will be tasked with guiding the Steelers back into the playoff race, which won’t be easy given Pittsburgh’s 0-2 start.
Making matters worse for the Steelers is they’ll need to chase down the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. While things have gone absolutely haywire for the Steelers this season, Baltimore looks like it might be able to contend in the AFC after a 2-0 start powered by second-year signal-caller Lamar Jackson.
It’s also worth wondering whether this might be the end of the road for Roethlisberger in the NFL. While we don’t know the exact extent of the injury, the Steelers QB figures to be looking at a lengthy rehab. He’s also mentioned retirement on multiple occasions in recent seasons, so it’s probably fair to speculate.
