Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin refused to address the question of if Ben Roethlisberger will be able to return this year after suffering a rib and shoulder injury in the Steelers 16-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday.
Tomlin was asked if he was confident Roethlisberger would return; he scoffed at the question, quickly said "next question" and moved on. The tone in Tomlin's voice indicated that he thought it was a stupid question that he did not have to dignify with an answer rather than any cause for fear or concern, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Roethlisberger suffered a sprained SC joint in his right shoulder (his throwing shoulder) and the Steelers have already ruled him out for Sunday's matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. The injury typically takes from three to six weeks to fully heal. With Roethlisberger out, Byron Leftwich will start for Pittsburgh on Sunday. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. ET.