Steelers to rest QB Roethlisberger

The Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will not play in the regular-season finale in Cleveland on Sunday, opening the door for backup Mason Rudolph to start against the Browns.

The Steelers are locked into the No. 2 or 3 seed in the AFC and secured at least one home playoff game by winning the AFC North division title when they beat the Colts. They can become the No. 2 seed by winning on Sunday and if the Bills lose at home to the Dolphins.

But with only the No. 1 seed getting a bye in the first round of the playoffs, head coach Mike Tomlin decided it was in his team’s best interests to make sure Roethlisberger is healthy and well-rested for the postseason.

Roethlisberger admitted last week he was not 100% healthy, and he was listed on the injury report a few weeks ago with a knee injury. There also has been some speculation his surgically repaired arm is tired late in the season, which might explain his and the offense’s late-season struggles.

Rudolph will return to First Energy Stadium to face the Browns and Myles Garrett, who last year hit Rudolph in the head with his helmet after a late-game skirmish. It will be Rudolph’s first start of the season. He was 5-3 as a starter last season when Roethlisberger missed the final 14 games due to his elbow injury.

„ 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 the Browns 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. 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. The Browns will make the playoffs for the first time since 2002 with a win over the Steelers. Last weekend, starting linebacker B.J. Goodson tested positive and receivers Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge, along with rookie linebacker Jacob Phillips, were placed on the COVID list because they were deemed high-risk close contacts to Goodson.

College basketball: The Arizona men’s basketball program has self-imposed a one-year postseason ban related to its long-running NCAA rules infractions case. Arizona was accused of nine counts of misconduct, including five Level I violations, in a Notice of Allegations sent by the NCAA in October. The violations include a lack of institutional control and failure to monitor by the university, and lack of head coach control by basketball coach Sean Miller.

NBA: Rookie of the Year Ja Morant will miss three to five weeks after spraining his left ankle. The Grizzlies said Tuesday that further tests revealed Morant suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain during Monday night’s 116-111 overtime win over the Nets. Morant was defending a shot by Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and rolled his ankle when he landed on Luwawu-Cabarrot’s foot. Morant hopped off the court and was taken by wheelchair to the locker room. He returned with his left foot in a walking boot.