Quarterback Byron Leftwich has apparently torn the medial collateral ligament in his left knee all but knocking him out of the games the Steelers had planned to start him.
Leftwich left the Steelers' 19-3 win against Carolina Thursday night early in the second quarter after another player rolled onto his lower leg.
An MRI confirmed the worst for the Steelers, who since the spring have been preparing Leftwich to start while Roethlisberger serves a likely four-game suspension at the start of the regular season.
Dennis Dixon will all but certainly start the first 4 games for the Steelers. Dixon offers the Steelers playmaking ability with his legs, which will be an asset behind a depleted offensive line.