Ben Roethlisberger seems to have spent more time on the turf than upright for the Steelers this season, and it appears to be catching up to the quarterback.
Roethlisberger suffered a sprain and bruising in his mid-foot area in Sunday's loss to the Texans, NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported on Monday, citing sources with knowledge of the situation.
The Steelers quarterback remains under evaluation and could miss practice time this week, but has not been ruled out for Sunday.
If Roethlisberger cannot go in Week 5 against the Titans, Charlie Batch would get the start.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review painted a grim postgame picture for Roethlisberger on Sunday night, detailing his limp to the showers, limp back to his locker, then exit from the premises with a walking boot and crutches.
The injury -- suffered in Pittsburgh's penultimate offensive series -- is not to the same foot in which he sustained a stress fracture last season, one bit of good news in an otherwise dreary day. Roethlisberger hopes to avoid missing time.
"If I can be out there, I'm going to be out there," Roethlisberger said on Sunday. "If I have to cast it up -— we saw I had to do that last year -— I cast up my foot for the last half of the year. If we have to do it, I'll do it."
For all the talk of the Steelers' supposedly fast-aging defense, Pittsburgh's struggles to protect Roethlisberger have flown under the radar. Pittsburgh is off to a shaky 2-2 start, and losing Roethlisberger for any stretch of time could be devastating to the team's playoff hopes.
