Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger officially out against Patriots after knee surgery

MIAMI — The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will not play in next Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots after undergoing surgery Monday morning on his injured left knee

Head coach Mike Tomlin made the official announcement during a news conference Tuesday, one day after calling Roethlisberger’s surgery “successful.”

The Post-Gazette reported Sunday night that Roethlisberger suffered a torn meniscus during Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, and there was no timetable for his return.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday morning that doctors expected the procedure to be a "cleanup," and not a full repair of the meniscus. That could mean a quicker recovery.

Tomlin released the following statement Monday afternoon:

"Ben Roethlisberger underwent a successful outpatient arthroscopic surgery on his left knee this morning. He is now recovering at home and is expected to make a full recovery.

"Though we do not know a specific timetable for when he will be able to return to the field, we are confident this injury is not long-term."

Tomlin would not speculate further Tuesday about how long the Steelers will be without Roethlisberger.

A very shaky start for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Miami got worse when Roethlisberger left midway through the second quarter with the knee injury.

Roethlisberger was rolling to his right when he escaped a potential sack but appeared to take an awkward step as the play continued. He ended up throwing an interception at the end of the play then walked under his own power to the locker room while backup Landry Jones began warming up.

Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten initially tweeted that Roethlisberger’s return to the game was questionable. Roethlisberger was then seen on the sidelines heading into the third quarter with a sleeve on his injured knee and later returned to the field.

Jones, who hadn't thrown a pass this season, made two starts in place of an injured Roethlisberger in 2015.

The Steelers went 1-1 in those games, though the victory comes with an asterisk because he left early with an ankle injury and Roethlisberger came on to guide a blowout of Cleveland.

Jones was more effective in relief, leading Pittsburgh by Arizona and Oakland when injuries forced Roethlisberger and Michael Vick out of the lineup.

Given a full week to prepare for the Patriots, Jones believes offensive coordinator Todd Haley doesn't have to make portions of the playbook off limits to thrive.

"I felt like I had it last year," Jones said. "We didn't change much as all of what we were doing. I expect it to be kind of the same this year."

Jones has taken just a handful of snaps this season and threw one incompletion while briefly spelling Roethlisberger in Miami.

He's completed 32 of 56 for 513 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions in 11 appearances and played extensively with the first team during a preseason in which Roethlisberger made just a token appearance.

"Practice is so different from games, you never know what you're going to get from a guy until you go into the game," Jones said. "Last year I performed pretty well in most of the situations, so I feel like I have the confidence of the guys."

If the Steelers want to have any hope of keeping up with the Patriots, they don't really have a choice. Several times over the past three years, Jones has seemingly found his roster spot in jeopardy only to survive and — in very limited instances — thrive.

"This guy is a really good college player and now he has the tools around to get the job done," guard Ramon Foster said. "Me knowing him, he's going to be a guy that makes sure his success is on the front page."

The start also comes at a critical time for Jones, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

With Roethlisberger locked up for the rest of the decade, any chance to be in the mix as a legitimate starter will have to come elsewhere. Not that Jones is concerned with his future at the moment. Figuring out the Patriots is hard enough.

Jones' teammates understand asking Jones to do his best Roethlisberger impersonation is unfair.

"He's not as capable as Ben is," running back Le'Veon Bell said. "Ben's been a longtime starter, been in the league for a long time at a high level. We've got to get (Jones) to the point where he's confident and he feels like he can do no wrong. That's when he can be striking."

Not that it's all on Jones. Pittsburgh's ugly trip to South Florida included allowing a running back to go over 200 yards rushing for the first time in 16 years and failing to put much pressure on quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

"We've just got to be better period," Foster said. "We've got to be the same team every week."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.