Steelers’ QB likely for Thursday
Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sat out practice on Tuesday to give his broken left index finger a rest but he is expected to play Thursday night when Carolina visits Heinz Field.
Roethlisberger said the finger was “fine” after he threw the ball 47 times in Sunday’s victory over Baltimore.
He did leave the game briefly in the third quarter after getting the wind knocked out of him, but he returned after missing just one snap.
The 36-year-old is on pace to top 5,000 yards passing for the first time in his career. He came close in 2014 when he tied Drew Brees for the league lead with 4,952. Roethlisberger said reaching the 5,000-yard plateau “is still a pretty big deal” but he is keeping his focus on the team.
Abdullah let go: The Lions released running back Ameer Abdullah, cutting ties with their seldom-used secondround pick from the 2015 draft.
Detroit also signed running back Zach Zenner and receiver Bruce Ellington on Tuesday.
Abdullah had one carry, two catches and returned four kickoffs in three games this year. Abdullah had 1,251 yards rushing and six touchdowns. along with 57 receptions for 420 yards in his career.
Giants’ QB discusses arrest: Giants rookie quarterback Kyle Lauletta apologized Tuesday morning, a week after he was arrested for motor-vehicle violations near his home in Weehawken, N.J.
“First things first: I want to apologize to the New York Giants’ organization, my teammates, the fans and my family,” Lauletta said. “The incident that happened last week is a terrible representation of who I am and what I stand for. Right is right and wrong is wrong. My parents raised me better than that.”
According to Weehawken police accounts, Lauletta, the Giants’ fourth-round pick from Richmond, was driving his 2017 Jaguar on Oct. 30, when he was stopped for failing to obey a police officer’s order to continue driving straight.
The report says Lauletta almost hit a police officer while making an illegal turn. He was stopped by a second police officer and refused to produce a driver’s license or exit the car.