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Ben Roethlisberger to undergo surgery on torn meniscus

This is big news for the AFC North as Big Ben is likely to miss at least a few weeks. The Steelers play the Patriots next week in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Steelers v Miami Dolphins Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will undergo surgery on Monday morning to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, per Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Roethlisberger left the Steelers’ Week 6 loss to the Dolphins with the knee injury, but did return to play in the third quarter and finished out the game, making his need for surgery somewhat of a surprise.

Per Cook, there’s no timetable for when Roethlisberger will return, but, he added, “it's possible Roethlisberger could be back for the Baltimore game” on November 6. Bengals defensive tackle Andrew Billings is currently on season-ending Injured/Reserve with a torn meniscus, but, the extent of these types of injuries varies greatly.

Roethlisberger’s injury occurred during the second quarter with the Steelers up by 2 on a play in which Roethlisberger threw a pass intended for Sammie Coates that was intercepted by the Dolphins. The play led to a field goal for the Dolphins, giving them a lead they would never relinquish.

After the game, Roethlisberger said the injury “happened before I threw the ball. I don't know how it happened. I just felt something funny in my knee.”

So far this season, Roethlisberger has 1,496 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and four picks. It’s likely that Landry Jones, who entered the game when Roethlisberger exited, will start next week when the Steelers play the Patriots in Pittsburgh. Jones only attempted one pass against the Dolphins and it went incomplete.

Per former NFL team doctor David Chao, Roethlisberger could return in one to three weeks.