In the 2016 NFL season, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee during a game against the Miami Dolphins. This injury required mid-season surgery, but Roethlisberger was able to return to the field after missing just one game and having the bye week to recover further.
The Injury
Roethlisberger sustained the torn meniscus in his left knee while running a bootleg play against the Dolphins. As he made his way out of the pocket, Dolphins defensive end Mario Williams appeared to nick Roethlisberger’s leg, causing the quarterback to “feel something funny” in his knee.
Surgery and Recovery
After the initial evaluation, it was determined that Roethlisberger had a torn meniscus that would require surgery. The procedure, which took place on Monday following the injury, was described as a “cleanup” of the meniscus rather than a full repair. This type of surgery generally allows for a quicker recovery time.
Roethlisberger missed the Steelers’ Week 7 game against the New England Patriots but was able to return to action after the team’s bye week in Week 8. Despite the injury, he played through the pain in the second half of the Dolphins game, finishing 19-of-34 for 189 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Impact on the Season
With Roethlisberger under center, the Steelers averaged 27.5 points, 405.4 total yards, 308.1 passing yards, and 97.3 rushing yards per game since the start of the 2015 season. Without him, those numbers dropped significantly to 20.5 points, 315.3 total yards, 162.8 passing yards, and 152.5 rushing yards.
Despite missing some time due to the injury, Roethlisberger and the Steelers were able to make it to the AFC Championship game that season. The quarterback’s toughness and ability to play through pain were praised by many, including New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who called Roethlisberger “one of the toughest guys in the league” and said he would “never rule him out for anything.”