Steelers receiver Eli Rogers has emerged from a little-known undrafted rookie who spent last year on injured reserve to a starter this year. So when Rogers didn’t play at all on Sunday against the Patriots, it raised eyebrows.
The Steelers haven’t explained why Rogers didn’t play, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Rogers was being disciplined by coach Mike Tomlin.
There’s no word on what Rogers did to draw Tomlin’s ire, but Tomlin has a history of benching players for not working hard enough in practice or getting in trouble off the field. Even important starters like Santonio Holmes and Rashard Mendenhall have been benched by Tomlin. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said in a radio interview that Rogers needs to “stay focused,” suggesting that poor work habits may have been the reason for Tomlin’s decision.
Pittsburgh could have used Rogers on Sunday, as receiver Markus Wheaton missed the game with a shoulder injury, receiver Sammie Coates has been limited by a hand injury and receiver Antonio Brown suffered an injury late in the game. But Tomlin had made his decision, and Rogers was planted firmly on the bench.