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Big Ben will be closed for the remainder of 2019.
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Monday that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was going to undergo surgery on his injured right elbow, that he would be placed in the injured reserve and that he would be away for the season.
Surgery was deemed necessary after an MRI of Roethlisberger's elbow on Sunday night. The operation is expected to take place this week, according to the team.
The end-of-season news is a brutal blow for the 0-2 Steelers, who were hoping to bounce back after missing the playoffs in 2018.
Roethlisberger tried repeatedly to shake his injured elbow in the first half of Sunday's home defeat against the Seattle Seahawks. He was removed from the fight in the second half, replaced by second-year quarterback Mason Rudolph.
The elbow injury at the start of Big B's 2019 season will mark the quarterback's first missed games since Week 7 of the 2016 season. The last time the Steelers have not played at Roethlisberger for more than 10 games is 2003 (Tommy Maddox was the starting quarterback and the Steelers were 6-10).
Roethlisberger has just finished a 2018 campaign in which he led the NFL in assists (5,129).
Roethlisberger signed a two-year extension with the Steelers during the off season and is under contract until 2021. For a 37-year-old quarterback who has considered retiring in the past, it will be interesting to see what the future reserves for the 16-year-old pro.
With Big Ben for the year, the Steelers will turn to Rudolph full time.
The choice of the third round in 2018 saw his first game in defeat on Sunday, finishing 12 of his 19 attempts to score 112 yards passing, 5.9 yards per attempt, two touchdowns, an interception (intercepted by Donte Moncrief ). 92.4 QB and took no bag in two quarters of play.
While the Steelers are throwing themselves into the unknown without Roethlisberger for more than a few games for the first time since his rookie season in 2004, the positive fact is that Rudolph did not seem to be overwhelmed in his debut.
A staff member of an opposing team said Monday to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, that the display of Rudolph could provide a minimum of hope to the Steelers.
"It's obviously a huge loss because of Roethlisberger's experience and what he's done, but with the way Mason Rudolph played in the pre-season and yesterday, they'll be in better shape than a lot of them. 'other teams,' the source told Garafolo.
Rudolph seemed comfortable managing his pocket Sunday, his coolness displayed and his ability to get his second reading. There was still some roughness around the edges, but it is hoped that with regular practice and that playing time ahead, Rudolph could become a potential long-term solution for the Steelers.
The second-year signal caller has already received rave reviews from his teammates after losing his way of handling the situation.
"He's done very well," said goalkeeper David DeCastro. "Really proud of him, the way he came in, ready to go in. He knew the game book, had a big order, and he also mixed some cadences. It was awesome."
With Roethlisberger finished for the year, the Steelers will need a more impressive game from Rudolph to run their season fast.
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