Ben Roethlisberger clears COVID-19 protocols, will play vs. the Chargers

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t received a lot of good news leading up to the Week 11 game vs. the Los Angeles Chargers in California. They will be without the likes of Kevin Dotson (ankle), Joe Haden (foot) and T.J. Watt (hip/knee), but there is at least some good news heading the Steelers’ way as they head to the west coast for a Sunday Night Football game.

That bit of good news comes with Ben Roethlisberger clearing the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol and being cleared to join the team in L.A. Roethlisberger won’t be boarding the team’s charter, but flying sepearately.

This per Burt Lauten, Director of Steelers Public Relations:

The news of Roethlisberger returning to the lineup certainly is good news for a team who needs as much help offensively as they can get. The team had been preparing a plan for Mason Rudolph this week, but it is uncertain if there was a feeling Roethlisberger, who missed the Week 10 game vs. the Detroit Lions, would be well enough to return to the team.

Before Roethlisberger’s absence the team’s franchise quarterback had been directing the offense to a four game winning streak. A streak which also saw Roethlisberger not throw an interception during that stretch. In Rudolph’s lone start for this season, not only did the team tie the Lions 16-16, but he threw an interception during the contest.

Unfortunately, the news of Roethlisberger being back on the roster also means the team won’t have All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick at their disposal. Fitzpatrick also was on the NFL’s Reserve/COVID-19 List and will have to wait until Week 12 before he returns to the team, if he passes protocols.

Does this change the prediction/outcome for the Steelers on Sunday night? That will be decided soon enough, but be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the Chargers.

UPDATE

The Steelers make the reinstatement of Ben Roethlisberger off the Reserve/COVID-19 List official.

For more information on the return of Ben Roethlisberger to the Steelers’ lineup, check out the BTSC Breaking News podcast below: