Ben Roethlisberger has received a fair amount of praise from the public for his choice to report he had COVID-like symptoms prior to testing positive for the virus.
But he got his biggest pat on the back yet on Wednesday, as NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills commended the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback for being transparent about his health.
Sills’ comments were made via conference call with Rapoport in which also pointed out that the number of positive cases across the league was at a season-high last week, which likely played a role in the NFL’s decision to enhance COVID-19 safety protocols heading into the packed Thanksgiving week game schedule.
It still isn’t clear if the Steelers will have Roethlisberger back on the field on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. Pittsburgh is looking to bounce back after last week’s game against the winless Detroit Lions ended in a 16-16 tie.
Even if Roethlisberger returns, the Steelers will still be missing key parts of their lineup with linebacker T.J. Watt and cornerback Joe Haden sustaining injuries and free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick testing positive for COVID just this week.
Chelena Goldman grew up on a street where the boys played street hockey and yelling at baseball and football over the radio was a standard — making life as a sports geek the perfect fit. She believes in dominance on the blue line, good red wine, and the theory that you can never be too overdressed for any occasion. You can find her gabbing away on Twitter at @ChelenaGoldman.
