Roethlisberger injured

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was taken from the field on a cart at the conclusion of practice here Wednesday afternoon after having his foot stepped on near the end of practice.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback finished practice after having his foot stepped on during 11-on-11 drills, but Roethlisberger, who was walking with a slight limp, headed straight for a medical cart at the conclusion of the session.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said the injury was no big deal.

Center Chukky Okobi, however, was no so lucky.

Okobi, working with the second team after the return of Sean Mahan, went down in a heap two plays after Roethlisberger was stepped on and was on the field for several minutes as trainers looked at his lower back.

The injury news clouded an otherwise good day for the Steelers, who had gotten linebackers Larry Foote and James Harrison, and quarterback Brian St. Pierre back in action today.

Tomlin said rookie linebacker Lawrence Timmons was in Philadelphia today having his sore groin looked at and that there had been a breakthrough in that area. But, he said he would not speak about it until Thursday, when Timmons is scheduled to return.

Defensive end Derrick Jones was also still out of practice, nursing a sore right calf.

The highlight of practice was the two-minute drill in which Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch both did excellent impersonations of Joe Montana.

The two were a combined 11-for-13 in the drill, with Roethlisberger’s lone incompletion coming when he spiked the ball to stop the clock. He was seven-of-eight, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to Nate Washington to finish things off. Batch of four-for-five, including an 18-yard touchdown to Walter Young, who did an outstanding job of getting both feet in bounds and slipping the ball past the pylon for a score.

Mahan, who is back from an excused absence, will start at center on Saturday against Green Bay, as will Willie Colon at right tackle.

Tomlin said today that running back Willie Parker’s timetable is 14 days and that he’s in day 11 now. That would bring Parker back to action when the team resumes practice next week.