Steelers activate Ben Roethlisberger, 3 others; Kevin Dotson placed on reserve/covid-19 list

Ben Roethlisberger did a lot of studying in his week while away from his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates.

Some teaching, too.

Activated from the reserve/covid-19 list Saturday, Roethlisberger talked about what it was like to sit out practice all week before participating in the team walkthrough in advance of the Steelers’ game Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“It felt great. My body enjoyed the week off,” Roethlisberger said. “My mind from teaching pre-K did not enjoy the week off. It was fun to be home with them, but I definitely missed the guys.”

Roethlisberger, who will start Sunday against the Bengals, was one of four players activated from the list. Inside linebacker Vince Williams, running back Jaylen Samuels and tackle Jerald Hawkins were the others.

However, guard Kevin Dotson was placed on the reserve/covid-19 list Saturday. He missed practice Friday with what the team described as an illness. Rookie safety Antoine Brooks Jr. has been signed from the practice squad to take Dotson’s place on the 53-man roster.

The four players were placed on the reserve/covid-19 list Tuesday, one day after tight end Vance McDonald’s positive test for coronavirus. McDonald remains on the list and cannot return to the team until next week.

Saturday was the first day all four players were eligible to be activated and participate in the walkthrough.

When he wasn’t developing his kids’ lesson plans, Roethlisberger watched copies of the team’s daily practice on his iPad.

“It was definitely different,” Roethlisberger said. “When I haven’t practiced before, I’ve been on the field behind the quarterbacks, hearing the calls made. As coach Tomlin would say, the ‘in-helmet’ perspective. It definitely was different. I watched every play of practice, but when you watch on an iPad at home, you don’t get to hear those things.”

Roethlisberger received daily covid-19 testing. He said his wife and kids were tested every other day.

“You’re always nervous,” he said. “You don’t want to give it to the kids. We’ve been as safe as we possibly could be at home.”

Although no other Steelers players tested positive this week for covid-19, rookie running back Anthony McFarland and Dotson were listed as questionable to play Sunday because of illness. McFarland missed two days of practice, but unlike Dotson, he was not placed on the reserve/covid-19 list.

The Steelers also will be without assistant offensive line coach Adrian Klemm because of an illness.