Pittsburgh Steelers Latest Injury News: Big Ben Placed in Concussion Protocol
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, 39-30, but that would have been easily gotten over with if not for the injury to star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben was seen leaving the field in the fourth quarter after what appeared to be at that point as a concussion.
After the game, the 33-year-old veteran reported signs of concussion to the team, obliging officials and the medical staff to perform an evaluation. After that, the Steelers reported that Roethlisberger has in fact been placed in the league's concussion protocol.
By putting him through the NFL's protocol, it means that he'll be subjected to continuous evaluation all throughout the week. The injury came when Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett delivered a high-low hit, striking Big Ben in the head with the helmet. Bennett was penalized 15 yards for the play, but the Steelers quarterback decided to stay in the game. After the drive ended, he self-reported the concussion symptoms to the team's medical staff.
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There are two possible scenarios after the evaluation. In case Roethlisberger is found to be not suffering from a concussion, he'll be able to return to the field sooner than later since the entire process is faster if there is no concussion involved. So if he passes his initial examination and there is no concussion diagnosis in the follow-up exams, it will be on the team's discretion if he'll be allowed to play.
But in the event that Roethlisberger is diagnosed with a concussion, the entire process will be a lot longer and tedious. First, he must pass five steps in order to be eligible to play once again, as per NFL head, neck, and spine committee's protocol. Next, his team will have to decide if he is fit to go back to the field again.
