Roethlisberger will miss opener after emergency appendectomy

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an emergency appendectomy after becoming ill before practice Sunday and will miss Thursday night's season opener against Miami.

Coach Bill Cowher said Roethlisberger will be evaluated each week, and he is not certain how long the quarterback will be out.

Charlie Batch, the former Lions starter who was 2-0 as a fill-in last season when Roethlisberger hurt his knee, will start against the Dolphins in the NFL's first game of the season.

The appendix attack is yet another medical setback for Roethlisberger, who nearly died in a June 12 motorcycle accident only to make a remarkably fast recovery. He missed no practice time during training camp and played better in the preseason than he did a year ago before leading the Steelers to their first Super Bowl victory in 26 years.

Chargers' Foley shot

SAN DIEGO -- Chargers linebacker Steve Foley will miss the season after being shot near his suburban home by an off-duty police officer.

Foley was placed on the non-football injured reserve list on Monday, a day after he was shot by an off-duty Coronado officer and a week before the Chargers open at Oakland.

Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said Foley won't be paid this season. Foley's base pay is $775,000, and it's believed he was due a roster bonus of $875,000.

The outside linebacker, who was being counted on to help anchor the toughest run defense in the NFL, remained hospitalized in stable condition, according to his agent, David Levine.

Because it wasn't a football injury, the Chargers were letting Levine provide medical updates.

But Levine said information remained sketchy, and his access to Foley had been limited. On Sunday, Levine said he was told Foley was shot three times, in the arm, leg and chest. On Monday, he said he wasn't certain where Foley was shot.

-- The Associated Press