Ben Roethlisberger came out the other day claiming he has a slightly torn rotator cuff in his right throwing shoulder. He came out saying the injury was not serious and will need a few days off. So why did I see him throwing a forty-yard pass in the background while watching Sportscenter on ESPN the next day?
I was at St. Vincent College for the President's Athletic Conference Media day and decided to stay a little bit after the Media Day was over for Steelers practice to see if Ben is really throwing again already. I only had to stand there for ten minutes when I saw Ben on the field throw a beautiful, 38-yard strike to Antonio Brown. No signs of injury at all.
Also in the news was safety Troy Polamalu. Polamalu came out and said he played most of last season with a concussion. Now that blew my mind even more. Why are players playing seriously injured? Is this a new form of leadership? That is where the statement of "don't play injured" comes into play.
Players play hurt all the time with minor injuries. They do not play with major injuries usually. Polamalu was an exception to that rule. But when it is only training camp, they should not be playing. James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley are both currently sitting out due to minor injuries. Casey Hampton and Rashard Mendenhall are both recovering from off-season surgeries and are not practicing. But the one that really blows my mind is Ben. If Roethlisberger is hurt and his arm is hurting him at all, he should not be practicing right now. He does not have to be on the field to show that he is a leader. He can lead off the field. He can also learn the new playbook still and get enough reps later in camp. Roethlisberger is the player that makes this offense go. Without him, the offense is one of the worst in the league and the worst without Ben and Mike Wallace, who still has not shown signs of life. If Ben's arm falls off during the middle of the season and he cannot throw at all, the Steeler's season is over. So if the Steelers are smart, rest your star quarterback who makes the offense go, because the running game sure does not.