NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to announce Wednesday that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be suspended for violating the league's personal-conduct policy. NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora is reporting that the ban is likely to be for 4-6 games, with a sliding scale based on circumstances, including some component of counseling. That would mean Roethlisberger would not be eligible to play in games against the Atlanta Falcons (home), Tennessee Titans (road), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (road) and Baltimore Ravens (home) to open the season. The Steelers have a bye in Week 5. If the suspension lasts the full six games, Roethlisberger also would miss a Week 6 home game vs. Cleveland and Week 7 at Miami. He would be eligible to practice with the team and participate in preseason games.
Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old female college student in a Milledgeville, Ga., nightclub last month, but he will not face criminal charges. Roethlisberger also is being sued in Nevada, where a woman has accused him of sexually assaulting her in his Lake Tahoe hotel room in 2008, although no charges were filed and the quarterback, who denies the allegation, is asking for counter-damages.
Goodell told a radio audience Monday that Roethlisberger violated the league's personal-conduct policy with his "pattern of behavior" and "bad judgments."
"The issue here is with respect to a pattern of behavior and bad judgments," Goodell said on Dan Patrick's radio show. "You do not have to be convicted or even charged with a crime to be able to demonstrate that you've violated a personal-conduct policy, and reflect poorly not only on themselves, but all of their teammates, every NFL player in the league, and everyone associated with the NFL. That is what my concern is, and I have expressed that directly to Ben."
The Steelers are taking their recent rash of off-the-field problems seriously. Several players said Monday that the team has adopted a zero-tolerance policy in which unacceptable player conduct will be dealt with harshly and swiftly. The previous week, the Steelers traded former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes to the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick following a series of issues.
Trading Roethlisberger isn't out of the question for the Steelers. A source with knowledge of the situation told La Canfora last week that the team has internally discussed the possibility of dealing the two-time Super Bowl winner.
If other teams called about Roethlisberger, the Steelers would intently listen, a source told La Canfora. However, the source noted that this isn't "a Santonio Holmes situation" and the Steelers would want "fair value" for the quarterback.
Should Roethlisberger have another off-the-field misstep, his Steelers career likely would be over, La Canfora reported, citing team and league sources.
The Steelers prepared for Roethlisberger's suspension Tuesday by acquiring quarterback Byron Leftwich from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick (225th overall). Leftwich was Roethlisberger's backup during the Steelers' 2008 Super Bowl championship season and could be a fill-in starter.
The Steelers also have longtime backup Charlie Batch and third-year pro Dennis Dixon under contract at quarterback. Batch has been injured each of the past two seasons. Dixon has started only one NFL game, but he likely would compete with Leftwich in training camp to be the early season starter.
