Nov 30, 2015 4 min read

SEATTLE – Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has had concussions before.

They all occurred prior to the NFL’s change in concussion protocol in 2013.

Now, after suffering a concussion in the fourth quarter of the Steelers’ 39-30 loss at Seattle Sunday, Roethlisberger has a very specific set of hurdles he must clear if he is to play Sunday against Indianapolis at Heinz Field.

Roethlisberger suffered the concussion when Seattle defensive lineman Michael Bennett hit him in the head with 7:18 remaining in the fourth quarter. Bennett was penalized for roughing the passer.

Roethlisberger stayed in the game for nine more plays, leading the Steelers (6-5) to the Seattle 3-yard line to set up a field goal, but told team doctors when he went to the sideline that he was experiencing concussion-like symptoms.

Roethlisberger laid on the field for several seconds after the hit from Bennett, but head coach Mike Tomlin bristled when asked why Roethlisberger remained in the game.

“We were going to do what’s appropriate and take care of our guys. So don’t make that assumption, you know what I mean?” Tomlin said. “We’re going to do what’s right to safeguard the health of those guys.”

Roethlisberger must pass five stages of the league’s mandated concussion protocol before returning to action.

The first stage involves rest and recovery. He is permitted to stretch and work on his balance but can’t work out beyond that. In addition, players who have suffered concussions – Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier also left the game Sunday with a concussion – are advised against using computers or any electronic devices and are not permitted to take part in team meetings.

After he is cleared to resume working out, the player will be permitted to exercise lightly while supervised by the team medical staff. The workload will be increase but will be halted if concussion symptoms resume. The player also can attend team meetings and study film at this point.

Once he reaches stage three, the injured player can resume weight training before advancing to stage four, when he can resume non-contact football drills.

Finally, at stage five, the player can resume practicing with no limitations. Once cleared by team doctors, he must be examined by an independent neurological consultant, who also reviews any relevant neurological tests.

Every player is different and some players advance through concussion protocol more quickly than others.

Backup quarterback Landry Jones suffered a concussion in Pittsburgh’s final preseason game and was not cleared to resume practicing for two weeks. Free safety Mike Mitchell had a concussion a few weeks ago but did not miss a game.

The NFL protocol is the same for each team rather and does not let a player return when he simply feels he’s ready – something that used to lead to players returning too soon.

“I had a concussion in the preseason and it was handled really well,” Jones said. “I think it’s a good thing for us to take it out of the player’s hands.”

For the Steelers, the frustrating part is that Roethlisberger looked like he had completely recovered from knee and ankle injuries that caused him to miss four games and parts of three others. He passed for 456 yards – the most ever allowed by the Seahawks – and showed his trademark escapability in the pocket prior to his latest setback.

“Ben is a tough quarterback; he is a great quarterback,” said wide receiver Martavis Bryant. “It’s great to see his knee (is stable) and he’s back to being his original self and doing things he should do.”

Pittsburgh’s next three games are against division leaders. The Steelers host AFC South leader Indianapolis, then travel to AFC North-leading Cincinnati Dec. 13 before hosting AFC West frontrunner Denver Dec. 20. … Markus Wheaton’s 200-yard receiving game was just the fourth in team history. He joins Antonio Brown (284), Plaxico Burress (253) and Buddy Dial (235) as players who have topped 200 yards.