Report: Pittsburgh Steelers Fear Byron Leftwich May Be Out ‘A While’
By Josh Sanchez
November 18, 2012; Pittsburgh , PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich (4) lays on the ground after being sacked by Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (92) as Ngata is congratulated by linebacker Jameel McClain (53) and linebcker Terrell Suggs (55) during the second half of the game at Heinz Field. The Ravens won the game, 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-US PRESSWIRE
While starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is recovering from a dislocated rib and sternoclavicular join sprain, his back up, Byron Leftwich, suffered a rib and shoulder injury of his own. The Pittsburgh Steelers have not released details of the injuries Leftwich suffered in the team’s Sunday night loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but there is some concern that Leftwich could miss an extended period of time.
This will leave the Steelers interviewing free agent quarterbacks to boost their depth. Currently, veteran Charlie Batch is the only healthy quarterback on the Pittsburgh roster. It’s not an ideal situation for a team in the thick of the playoff race.
It is unkown which quarterbacks the Steelers will work out this week, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk made a strong case for Brodie Croyle or Tyler Palko. Both signal-callers would be available for cheap and are familiar with offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s system.
Even better for Palko, he is comfortable playing at Heinz Field thanks to his college career with the University of Pittsburgh.