Roethlisberger still up in the air, Tomlin to give update at press conference

Steeler coach Mike Tomlin will render a decision on the status of Ben Roethlisberger during his afternoon press conference on Tuesday at the Steelers UPMC South Side facility.

Roethlisberger suffered concussion like symptoms after taking a knee to the head during the Kansas City game on Sunday. To put that in perspective, a study conducted by the NFL from 1994-2001 stated that Concussive impact on the field generally occurs at speeds from 17 to 25 miles per hour.

Roethlisberger was examined on Monday undergoing a battery of tests due to NFL guidelines established a year ago regarding concussions, to establish if he can play Sunday night, which include a battery of neuropsychological testing.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, a Washington and Jefferson College graduate, has made concussions a priority under his regime. In 2007, the league began new rules regarding players with concussions, which include rules of going back into a game and neurological testing, all of which have been implemented on Roethlisberger.

"Because of the unique and complex nature of the brain, our goal is to continue to have concussions managed conservatively by outstanding medical personnel in a way that clearly emphasizes player safety over competitive concerns." Goodell said of the new rules.

A recent study conducted by the NFL and the University of Michigan on 1,063 former players asked if they had ever been diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other memory-related disease.

The scary thing was 2 percent of the former players in the age 30 to 49 age bracket responded with yes. Due to this fact, the NFL issued a statement regarding the study earlier this season, also saying they need further study be done.

"Our focus is also on the proper prevention and treatment of concussions in today’s game. We do this through rules changes and enforcement; education of players, their families, coaches and team personnel; and ensuring that our players have the best medical care available," an NFL statement said. "Our medical staffs take a cautious and conservative approach to managing concussions, including expanded use of neuropsychological testing and return-to-play guidelines."

As to the status of Roethlisberger, all indicators are that he will be able to get behind center, but if he is unable to play in the game, the Steelers may have to go with unproven Dennis Dixon, who has just one game experience because veteran Charlie Batch injured his wrist in the Chiefs game and may miss the rest of the season.

The Steelers have yet to bring in a veteran backup, but with Batch's status unknown, they have signed Tyler Palko to the practice squad. Palko, a Pittsburgh native who was a standout at Pitt,  was recently signed by  the Montreal Allouettes.

Proven veteran Brian Griese is currently doing ESPN analysis while Jeff Garcia is also available, but a league souce has said that  neither have been contacted by the team.

Griese, 34, has tossed 119 touchdowns in his career, while Garcia, 39, has 163 and as recent as 2008 was a Pro Bowl quarterback.