Report: Roethlisberger could miss 4-6 weeks after knee surgery

The knee injury to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger might keep him out of the lineup longer than expected.

After undergoing successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday, Roethlisberger could be out four-to-six weeks as opposed to the original two-to-three week injury time frame, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports.

Roethlisberger suffered a torn lateral meniscus during the Steelers' Week 6 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He was taken to the locker room initially after the injury occurred, but returned and finished the game. The Steelers pivot has a penchant for playing through pain, so there was some belief the injury would be short term in nature at worst. Head coach Mike Tomlin suggested as much in a statement from the team Monday.

The 4-2 Steelers currently lead the AFC North by a game and will have to navigate the immediate future with backup Landry Jones leading the offense. Jones, a fourth-year pro out of Oklahoma, started two games for the team last year and earned one victory. In seven games of action, he's thrown for 513 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions.

In the next six weeks, Pittsburgh will play the 5-1 New England Patriots on Sunday before a bye week. They'll face the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and Indianapolis Colts after the bye week. If Roethlisberger returns in six weeks, that would put him in line to play in Week 13 against the New York Giants.