Does Anyone Else Feel Like Ben Will be Back Sooner?

[Flasteel]

I understand there is an agenda of hope behind this, but I am feeling like Ben will only miss 3 games or less.

My first inkling was the comments made by Ben following the injury. He focused almost exclusively on the bone bruise and barely mentioned the MCL - only stating that after the initial pain, it didn't really bother him.

No official timetable was ever released or mentioned by the team or anyone associated with the team. All they said was that it was a multiple-week injury and that he would definitely miss the Baltimore game. The 4-6 week time table is what's being put out there by the media and those with knowledge of a typical MCL tear. Tomlin and Ben have both seemed kind of coy when discussing the injury or timetable.

I was already thinking this before the Rats game and aware of Tomlin's policy of players not being on the sideline with crutches, openly wondered if Ben would be walking around the sideline without them. Sure enough, Ben not only shed the crutches, he moved about with little indication he was injured. The only sign I saw was when he rode to the locker room on a golf cart and had his leg propped up.

Yeah, I'm definitely hoping Ben will return sooner than we are all being led to believe, but that hope is being fueled by what I think are some legitimate indications. Anyone else feeling this?

[Slapstick]

I'm not getting my hopes up...then I can be pleasantly surprised...

[Flasteel]

This certainly sounds legitimate:

[url]http://larrybrownsports.com/football/ben-roethlisberger-return-earlier-than-expected/276285[/url]

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

I understand there is an agenda of hope behind this, but I am feeling like Ben will only miss 3 games or less.

My first inkling was the comments made by Ben following the injury. He focused almost exclusively on the bone bruise and barely mentioned the MCL - only stating that after the initial pain, it didn't really bother him.

No official timetable was ever released or mentioned by the team or anyone associated with the team. All they said was that it was a multiple-week injury and that he would definitely miss the Baltimore game. The 4-6 week time table is what's being put out there by the media and those with knowledge of a typical MCL tear. Tomlin and Ben have both seemed kind of coy when discussing the injury or timetable.

I was already thinking this before the Rats game and aware of Tomlin's policy of players not being on the sideline with crutches, openly wondered if Ben would be walking around the sideline without them. Sure enough, Ben not only shed the crutches, he moved about with little indication he was injured. The only sign I saw was when he rode to the locker room on a golf cart and had his leg propped up.

Yeah, I'm definitely hoping Ben will return sooner than we are all being led to believe, but that hope is being fueled by what I think are some legitimate indications. Anyone else feeling this?

Count me as one. The way he was moving on the sidelines made me think maybe back for ... the next game!

[WindyCitySteel]

I'm sure he wants very badly to face Arians two weeks from tomorrow. I'm guessing he's targeting that game.

[AzStillers1989]

Week 6 against Arizona. Mark it down.

[NorthCoast]

Nothing wrong with hopeful optimism. But honestly, when he was walking across the field in pre-game Thursday he looked to be walking pretty gingerly. If Vick can eek out a win next week it may dampen the idea of rushing him back.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

The last thing the Steelers need is Ben coming back before he's healed up. Get himself all racked up so that he misses even more games. Make sure he's fully healed. Honestly, hard to see how he could come back from an MCL before the Bengals game, at the earliest.

[squidkid]

i hope arizona.
thats the game i'm heading to and hope like hell i dont have to cheer for the POS vick.

[Cinnjerm3000]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a speedy recovery as well, but I'm looking for Vick's play to improve such as to mitigate the urgency of Ben's return. I'd hate for Ben to come back too early and potentially sustain a season ending injury. We'll see.

[Starlifter]

if vick plays well and we win games - they will not rush him back. if we continue to lose games - count on him coming the nanosecond he's able.

[Jooser]

He was only 4 days removed from injury on Thursday night, and already walking around pretty well. Even Cowher commented that he didn't appear to be too far from returning.

[JAR]

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Big Ben had a strong first week of recovery from MCL and fibula injures suffered in Pittsburgh's win over the Rams last Sunday, and is on track to return for Pittsburgh's Week 7 contest at Kansas City on Oct. 25.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Ben Roethlisberger’s status for Sunday remains a mystery

Posted by Mike Florio on October 16, 2015, 11:29 AM EDT



Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returned to practice this week, participating on a limited basis both Wednesday and Thursday, less than four weeks after suffering a sprained MCL and a bone bruise in his knee.


And now the question becomes whether Ben actually could play on Sunday against the Cardinals.


He surely wants to play, for a couple of reasons. First, his backup engineered a last-minute game-winning drive on Monday night, which naturally will make Roethlisberger inclined to send his backup back to the bench. Second, Roethlisberger’s former offensive coordinator and good friend, Bruce Arians, is coming back to town for the first time since the Steelers fired him without calling it a firing.


The Steelers and Roethlisberger are keeping his intentions close to the vest, which has a real strategic benefit by keeping the Cardinals in the dark. Soon, the Steelers will apply a label to Roethlisberger’s availability for Sunday (“questionable” is the guess here), and then the question becomes whether that label translates to Ben playing on Sunday when the Cardinals come to town.


[URL]http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/10/16/ben-roethlisbergers-status-for-sunday-remains-a-mystery/[/URL]

[papillon]

He surely wants to play, for a couple of reasons. First, his backup engineered a last-minute game-winning drive on Monday night, which naturally will make Roethlisberger inclined to send his backup back to the bench. Second, Roethlisberger’s former offensive coordinator and good friend, Bruce Arians, is coming back to town for the first time since the Steelers fired him without calling it a firing.

The two worst possible reasons to put Ben in the game if he isn't cleared by the medical staff.

Pappy