Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday that Ben Roethlisberger suffered a hip injury in the team's 27-17 road loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, and his participation in practice this week could be limited.
If the 39-year-old is unable to suit up for the Steelers' upcoming matchup against the Denver Broncos, backup quarterback Mason Rudolph will start. But considering how poorly Roethlisberger has played this season, should Pittsburgh bench him indefinitely?
"Ben Roethlisberger deserves an opportunity to try to, at least, right the ship," JR said during Tuesday's edition of the JR SportBrief show. "No, the ship isn't going to the Super Bowl. But the ship can at least look decent on the way. He's done, he's washed up. But there's no better option for the franchise. Keep things moving. Don't blame Tomlin, don't blame Roethlisberger.
"Blame the organization for deciding, 'Let's try this again for one more year.' Now, you've got to ride it out. Don't make stupid decisions, where now you look like one of these clown franchises. I know people want to get rid of Roethlisberger. Wait until the end of the season. Don't bench him right now. Don't embarrass the guy. Don't make your organization an embarrassment."
Roethlisberger is more of a liability than an asset for the Steelers right now. Through four games, the 18-year veteran has completed 64.1-percent of his passes for 1,033 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions, and his quarterback rating of 36.3 ranks fifth-worst in the NFL.
To make matters worse, Pittsburgh's offense as a whole has underperformed. The unit currently ranks 28th in the league in points, 27th in total yards, 16th in passing yards, and dead last in rushing yards. Not a recipe for success.
Pittsburgh (1-3) will host Denver (3-1) in a Week 5 matchup Sunday afternoon. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Steelers have just a 9-percent chance to reach the playoffs and a 2-percent chance to win the AFC North.
JR's complete thoughts on Roethlisberger and the Steelers can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.