Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did not suffer a concussion in practice this week, a source tells ESPN's Adam Schefter. The team placed Roethlisberger in the concussion protocol after the Pro Bowl quarterback took a fall during Tuesday's practice.
Roethlisberger had his helmet jarred loose when Marcus Gilbert was shoved into him. A player goes into the protocol when a potential concussion is identified and any symptoms associated with concussions are observed. But Roethlisberger experienced no concussion symptoms after the hit, a source said.
Roethlisberger traveled with the Steelers to Green Bay but is not playing Thursday night in their preseason game, a decision that was made before the injury. The Steelers will play rookie Mason Rudolph and Josh Dobbs exclusively.
Roethlisberger is doing fine and is expected to resume football activities soon, a source tells ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Teammates said Roethlisberger's head whipped back onto the turf after he got tangled with linemen on a rollout to his right, but after the play he assured center Maurkice Pouncey that he was good.
This is the first time since 2015 that Roethlisberger entered concussion protocol. Roethlisberger, 36, took at least 40 sacks six times from 2006 to 2013 but is averaging 1.4 sacks per game in recent years behind a veteran offensive line, which he credits for prolonging his career.
Roethlisberger lost weight this offseason to alleviate joint pain, and coach Mike Tomlin said Big Ben had an "awesome" training camp as a performer and collaborator with coaches and players.
He is not expected to play in the Steelers' fourth preseason game, making next week his final tune-up before the regular-season opener.