The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to try to win their fifth game in a row without their starting quarterback.
Ben Roethlisberger has been placed on the Covid-19 reserve list. He’s out for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, according to Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten.
Roethlisberger, 39, is the second prominent quarterback in two weeks to miss a game because of Covid-19, following Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers last week.
If Roethlisberger is vaccinated, he will be able to return after producing a pair of negative tests at least 24 hours apart. If he’s not vaccinated, he’ll miss at least 10 days.
Last week, Roethlisberger said he was vaccinated.
The backup in Pittsburgh is Mason Rudolph. He’ll likely get the eleventh-hour start against the winless Lions.
In a statement released Saturday night, the Steelers said Roethlisberger has started all eight games this season, completing 196 of 299 passes for 1,986 yards and 10 touchdowns.