The Aaron Rodgers “immunized” wordplay has provided the “fool me once, shame on you” basis for wondering whether other quarterbacks who test positive for COVID are truly vaccinated.
So on the morning after Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suddenly landed on the COVID reserve list and with some speculating that maybe he’s secretly unvaccinated just like Rodgers was, we posed a specific, on-the-record question to the Steelers this morning. Is Roethlisberger vaccinated?
“Ben confirmed to the media a couple weeks ago on camera in his weekly session that he is indeed vaccinated,” Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten said via text message.
So there it is. The Steelers know the truth, and their decision to cite Roethlisberger’s disclosure of his status operates as confirmation that he’s indeed vaccinated.
The abrupt announcement that Ben can’t play comes from the fact that, as reported by Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Roethlisberger wasn’t feeling well, told the team about it, got tested, and tested positive. It’s not the first-time Roethlisberger self-reported symptoms that kept him from playing or continuing to play; twice before, his disclosure of concussion symptoms sidelined him.
While some players may be inclined to shake their heads at the prospect of a quarterback tapping out, Roethlisberger did the right thing. Even if it means that the Lions somehow end Pittsburgh’s four-game winning streak in a game that will be played with Roethlisberger not playing.