Byron Leftwich Has Partially Torn MCL; Dennis Dixon Likely To Start Week 1 For Steelers

The Steelers quarterback situation just got a lot more dicey: ESPN is reporting that Byron Leftwich has a second-degree sprain of the MCL, which is a partial tear of the knee ligament.

Leftwich was projected to be the Steelers’ starting QB for the first quarter of the season with Ben Roethlisberger serving a four-game suspension (more on Roethlisberger’s suspension here). The injury will most certainly keep Leftwich from playing Week 1, and will likely sideline him for longer than that. This would leave Pittsburgh with Dennis Dixon to potentially start the team’s first four games of the season.

Leftwich injured the knee during the Steelers’ final preseason game against the Panthers on Thursday night.

For more on this development, checked out SB Nation Pittsburgh and Behind the Steel Curtain.

Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension being reduced on Friday to four