Use your head

Despite sustaining his 4th concussion in as many years last weekend, Ben Roethlisberger is planning to play in the Steelers' game against Baltimore Sunday night. He's back at practice just days after his latest head injury.

I admire Big Ben. He's a tough guy and an excellent player. He plays QB in an unorthodox way, holding onto the ball forever and shirking tacklers before letting go of the ball. Can't argue with his results.

But the Steelers should not let him play this week - plain and simple.

I understand Roethlisberger wants to do the courageous thing, but head injuries are not to be fooled around with. The NFL is making changes to its concussion panel and increasing research into the long-term effects of concussions, but as of right now, the onus falls on the Steelers.

I'm sure Big Ben, whose career survived a bad motorcycle accident already, feels indestructible, as any 6-5, 240 lb. QB would. We can't expect a 27-year-old elite athlete to think about what could happen 25 years down the line. He needs someone to look out for him.

NFL owners love to talk about how the franchises are big families, and about how much they love their players. If the Steelers feel this way about their QB, they should force him to take a seat this week.