Injured late in the second quarter of Sunday’s loss to Seattle, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will have surgery on his right elbow and be forced to miss the rest of the season, it was announced Monday.
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Roethlisberger said in a statement, “This is shocking and heartbreaking for me, to miss this much of a season and feel like I am letting down so many people. I can only trust God’s plan, but I am completely determined to battle through this challenge and come back stronger than ever next season.”
Statement from Ben Roethlisberger: pic.twitter.com/0SEAvrR0Qo
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 16, 2019
Roethlisberger also vowed to help backup QB Mason Rudolph and the 0-2 Steelers as much as he can.
“The Steelers committed three years to me this offseason and I fully intend to honor my contract and reward them with championship-level play,” he said in his statement. “I will do all I can to support Mason (Rudolph) and the team this season to help win games. I love this game, my teammates, the Steelers organization and fans, and I feel in my heart I have a lot left to give.”
In the 37-year-old’s absence, Rudolph will lead the Steelers offense, and the third-round draft pick from 2018 played well in relief on Sunday. He connected on 12 of 19 passing attempts for 112 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in his first career NFL appearance.
“I worked for this,” Rudolph told reporters Monday. “I wanted to be in this position. That was the plan.”
Rudolph, a 6-foot-5 signal caller from Rock Hill, S.C., played collegiately at Oklahoma State and was awarded the 2017 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given annually to the nation’s outstanding senior or fourth-year quarterback in college football.
That same year, Rudolph appeared on the cover of FCA Magazine and shared his desire to not just be a great football player, but to also be a great ambassador for Jesus Christ.
“I passionately pursue Christ because I want to be a witness for Him and use this platform to impact our community,” he said.
Even in the midst of the expectations and pressure of a football season, Rudolph says his faith in Christ sustains him.
“Christ is at the center of it,” Rudolph said. “It’s Christ who will always be there for you; He’s your foundation. So just getting in the Word and leaning on a few of my life verses throughout the week, as well as constant communication with my parents and grandparents — that’s my secret to success.”
This is what the Lord says, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." -Isaiah 43:16, 18-19
— Mason Rudolph (@Rudolph2Mason) December 31, 2018
Rudolph’s first career start will come Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET in San Francisco.
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