Steelers give Ben week off

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers are going to let Ben Roethlisberger rest up for the playoffs.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Roethlisberger will not play when the AFC North champion Steelers (12-3) visit rival Cleveland (10-5) in the regular-season finale on Sunday.

Pittsburgh can finish no worse than third in the AFC and is out of the running for home-field advantage after defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City locked it up last weekend.

So rather than put the 38-year-old Roethlisberger at risk, backup Mason Rudolph will return to the scene of the ugly brawl that marred the end of Pittsburgh’s previous visit to FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Browns beat the Steelers, 21-7, on Nov. 14, 2019, a game in which Rudolph threw four interceptions. Even worse, he and Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett got into a fight in the final minutes that ended with Garrett ripping off Rudolph’s helmet and hitting Rudolph with it.

The aftermath included Garrett — who claimed he erupted after being called a racial slur by Rudolph, an accusation the league could not substantiate and one Rudolph denied — getting suspended for the remainder of the 2019 season.

Rudolph, thrust into the starting role thanks to a season-ending right elbow injury to Roethlisberger in Week 2, struggled the following week against Cincinnati before he was benched. Tomlin said he is not concerned about last year’s incident being a factor for Rudolph.

“I haven’t had a chance to talk to him about it, but I’m sure he’s excited about getting the opportunity to start, certainly,” Tomlin said.

Garrett has moved on after being reinstated during the offseason and, in addition to having a standout year, was also the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, an honor given to players for their work both on and off the field.

With their biggest game in years just days away, the Browns added two more players to their lengthy COVID-19 list.

Starting safety Andrew Sendejo and rookie tight end Harrison Bryant were placed on the list Tuesday, giving Cleveland eight players on the list. It’s not yet known if Sendejo or Bryant tested positive for the virus or if they had close contact with an infected person.

Both played in Sunday’s 23-16 loss to the Jets, when the Browns (10-5) were missing six players, including their top four wide receivers, due to COVID-19 protocols.

If they are positive, Sendejo and Bryant would have to sit out 10 days from the time of their test and would miss Sunday’s game.