Roethlisberger may have concussion
The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t saying if quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sustained his second concussion in slightly more than four months.
Roethlisberger was fit enough to fly home with the Steelers following their 41-38 overtime loss Sunday in Atlanta, and to drive his SUV to a team meeting Monday, despite being briefly knocked unconscious during a helmet-to-helmet hit with the Falcons’ Chauncey Davis.
The Steelers’ biggest concern is if this is Roethlisberger’s second concussion in slightly more than four months. He sustained a severe concussion, and needed seven hours of surgery mostly to repair facial injuries, when his motorcycle collided with a car June 12 in Pittsburgh.
A football player receiving a second concussion in a relatively brief time can be susceptible to succeeding concussions, according to various concussion-related studies by doctors who have studied the issue for the NFL. Also, a player receiving multiple concussions in a brief time span may need a longer recovery time before playing again than one coming off his initial concussion.
This time, Roethlisberger lay on the turf for about five minutes, then was unsteady while being led off the field. He also looked dazed while riding to the locker room on a motorized cart. But he was back on the sideline later in the game and looked normal afterward.
The Steelers did not provide an update Monday on Roethlisberger. Unlike most NFL coaches, Bill Cowher doesn’t hold a news conference on Mondays or allow anyone else in the organization to speak about injuries. He will talk to reporters today.
Around the league
The Green Bay Packers placed wide receiver Robert Ferguson on injured reserve because of an ailing foot, ending his season early for the third straight year. … Colts safety Mike Doss will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee. Doss suffered the injury during Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins. … Denver Broncos left tackle Matt Lepsis is out for the season after tearing a ligament in his right knee in the first half of the Broncos’ 17-7 win over Cleveland. … Cleveland cornerback Gary Baxter tore patellar tendons in both knees while trying to break up a pass in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Denver and will undergo surgery today at the Cleveland Clinic to repair both knees. He will be sidelined for at least one year according to Browns coach Romeo Crennell. … Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Bobby McCray has been charged with reckless driving and possession of a controlled painkiller after being stopped in Jacksonville, Fla., for racing with another player. The team declined to comment.