Despite several days of optimism regarding the availability of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for Sunday night’s game against the Ravens, Roethlisberger will not play, according to Jay Glazer of FOX, via Twitter.
Glazer reports that Roethlisberger has been suffering from exercise-induced headaches. Thus, the team has decided to shut him down.
[Editor’s note: In a prior version of this post, I accidentally wrote that the Steelers had decided “to shit him down.” As one of you surmised in the comments, I got caught between “shut” and “sit.” And so when I start using that term intentionally in the future regarding guys who won’t be playing in a given game, we’ll all know how it got started.]
Starting for the Steelers will be Dennis Dixon, a fifth-round pick in 2008 who slid down the draft board after suffering a torn ACL during the 2007 college football season. (He actually played with the injury for one game before getting surgery to repair it.)
Dixon steps in because veteran Charlie Batch suffered a wrist injury during the handful of snaps he took in overtime on Sunday against the Chiefs, after Roethlisberger took a knee to the head.
Doubts regarding Roethlisberger’s availability for Sunday first emerged on Friday, when Jason La Canfora of NFLN reported that Roethlisberger might miss the game.