Roethlisberger's Suspension Cut to 4 Games

(NewsCore) - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's six-game suspension for violating the National Football League's personal-conduct policy was cut to four games by commissioner Roger Goodell after the two met Friday, NFL.com reported.

The two-time Super Bowl champion is now eligible to first play during the Steelers' Week Six, Oct. 17 home game against the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers' bye occurs during Week Five of the NFL's schedule.

The situation is likely to get worse for the Steelers with back-up quarterback Byron Leftwich facing four-six weeks on the sidelines after spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, ESPN reported Friday, citing sources.

Leftwich's injury could leave the Steelers with only two fit quarterbacks, Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch, for their Sept. 12 opener against Atlanta.

Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a Georgia college student following a night of drinking in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar on March 5.

Once it was determined six weeks later that Roethlisberger would not be charged by Georgia authorities, Goodell suspended Roethlisberger for the start of the season and ordered him to undergo an extensive evaluation.

Goodell had previously stated he would consider cutting Roethlisberger's suspension to four games if the quarterback followed the league's guidelines and stayed out of trouble.

The 2004 NFL offensive rookie of the year is the first player to not be arrested, charged with or convicted of a crime that was suspended by Goodell under the personal-conduct policy.

However, the commissioner said in April that the policy allows him to impose such a penalty when the NFL's integrity and reputation are at stake.

Roethlisberger, who has faced criminal allegations of sexual misconduct before, reportedly turned to religion this spring, following fallout from the most recent accusations against him.

"The first thing I read, the very first thing, was about the shepherd who loses one sheep. He goes out, finds it and leaves his whole flock and goes to find it," Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "And that’s so true."

Roethlisberger cannot practice once his suspension begins Friday. He plans to work with a California-based quarterbacks coach, George Whitfield, and he will throw to some free-agent receivers who are looking for work in the league.