Ben Roethlisberger reportedly surprised his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates by refusing to push himself in practice in the days leading up to Sunday's showdown against the Baltimore Ravens.
CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported Sunday that Roethlisberger frustrated some inside the organization by doing little more than toss the ball on the sideline after he was medically cleared to practice this week, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin sat down with Big Ben and told the quarterback he'd have to fully practice Friday or be ruled out on that day's injury report, according to La Canfora, who reported that many inside team walls expected Roethlisberger to play.
Big Ben's injury originally was described as a dangerous and rare rib setback that might shelve him deep into the season. The Steelers have been a shadow of themselves in his absence. It's not surprising to hear of internal pressure on Roethlisberger to suit up, but it's an unusual area of criticism for a player who has built a sturdy reputation of playing through pain.
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