Steelers’ Roethlisberger back — but for how long?

April 19, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Today, Ben Roethlisberger will line up under center, take the snap and throw his first pass to a teammate since the Steelers ended the season Jan. 3.

There won’t be any applause.

There likely won’t be much reaction from his teammates, who have seen the highest-paid player in franchise history go through this routine countless times in games and practices since 2004.

There will be countless questions.

For the Steelers, the most pressing is this: Who will be taking snaps in September?

The Steelers return to the practice field today for the first time since their 9-7 record wasn’t good enough to get them into the playoffs.

Roethlisberger is expected to be among them, one week to the day since prosecutors decided not to charge him after a college student accused him of sexual assault.

While there won’t be a criminal proceeding that could have disrupted the Steelers before, during or after the season, the fallout from Roethlisberger’s latest off-the-field problem and its impact on a team that regularly contends for championships could be long-lasting.

Roethlisberger must try to win back his teammates’ support — something team president Art Rooney II said probably can’t be achieved in a day, a week or a month.

It’s not just ownership that is running out of patience with an athlete who can’t seem to dodge missteps, the very player — the high-priced quarterback and proven winner — who is most expected to be a leader.

“He’s going to have to work very hard to rehabilitate his image,” Rooney said. “There’s no question that it’s taken a hit and we’ve told him it’s going to be a long journey back and he’s going to have to be up to meeting the challenge.”

It is very likely Roethlisberger won’t line up under center when the Steelers open the season. The question is whether he will be suspended by the NFL for four games, two games or one.