The Steelers have finalized a four-year contract extension with defensive tackle Brett Keisel. The deal will keep him with the team through the 2013 season, and the financial terms were unavailable on Monday afternoon. Keisel has started 42 games over the past three seasons in Pittsburgh. He was entering the final year of his contract and was scheduled to earn $3.25 million.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin hinted on Sunday that the team didn't chase Michael Vick hard because of Ben Roethlisberger's legal issues. "Given some of the things that my quarterback was going through, I didn't think it was the appropriate time to add another quarterback to the mix," Tomlin told NBC's Bob Costas. "He's going through somewhat of a trying time with the civil allegation, a case against him. I didn't want to do anything that was less than supportive to Ben."

The Steelers held quarterback Ben Roethlisberger out of Saturday's preseason game after he injured his Achilles tendon this week. Pittsburgh battled Washington on Saturday night. The injury isn't thought to be serious, but Charlie Batch started in his place.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger injured his right Achilles tendon when tackle Max Starks stepped on it during the Steelers' practice Thursday, s reported by ESPN.com. Roethlisberger was expected to be re-examined Friday and his playing status for the team's game against the Redskins remained undecided. However, he did travel with the team Friday to Washington, D.C., according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The preseason may or may not be meaningless, especially when the Lions go undefeated in the 2008 preseason and then don't win a single game in the regular season. But at the same time, preseason records have been at least somewhat indicative of future success. The past 15 Super Bowl winners have a combined preseason record of 39-23 (.629) in the preseason in which they win the Super Bowl. The 2008 Steelers went 3-1, but the 2007 Giants went 1-3 as they upset the then undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. New England went 2-2 in that preseason before winning 18 consecutive games, including playoff wins over the Jaguars and Chargers.

Rashard Mendenhall has looked ordinary in training camp so far this season, but the Steelers remain hopeful. "I expect the jump from him that I expect from all second-year players to take," Mike Tomlin said. "This is his second lap around the track in terms of being a professional athlete and pro football player. ... He acts like a guy who has been here before, a guy who is ready to burst onto the scene, a guy who is willing to put his hand in the pile and help us win."

Some executives within the league continue to wonder if Michael Vick could end up with the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers. Both are stable organizations with established quarterbacks who presumably wouldn't feel threatened by Vick's presence. Patriots Coach Bill Belichick at one point declined during a news conference to rule out signing Vick. But Patriots owner Robert Kraft said during a subsequent radio interview he doubted the club would make any move that would result in quarterback Tom Brady being out of the lineup for even a single play. Green Bay Packers General Manager Ted Thompson said during a recent news conference that his club considers all options. There were reports the Packers were giving serious consideration to signing Vick and had sent a member of the front office to meet with him, but team president Mark Murphy has said he doesn't envision the move being made. Carolina Panthers Coach John Fox has declined to rule out signing Vick but also indicated he thinks his team is set at quarterback.

The woman who claimed in a lawsuit that Ben Roethlisberger raped her bragged about having consensual sex with him to a co-worker. In a statement, Angela Antonetti said that Andrea McNulty, the woman who made the rape claim, "appeared happy and boastful" after the encounter. "Rather than indicating that she was afraid or apprehensive about this, Andrea expressed to me that she was hoping for a 'little Roethlisberger,' " said Antonetti, who worked with McNulty between 2006 and 2009.

Steelers receiver Hines Ward has only practiced with his teammates once so far in training camp. Pittsburgh is four days into camp and Ward is fully recovered from offseason shoulder surgery. Coach Mike Tomlin has simply decided to give some of his veterans time off. The team is coming off a Super Bowl victory, which meant a much longer 2008 season than a majority of the league. "I can't knock what coach Tomlin is doing," Ward told the Associated Press. "He's a proven coach, he's won the Super Bowl. Yeah, it looks a little strange, me not out there and people wondering, but it's his team."

Willie Parker has won two Super Bowl rings in Pittsburgh, but still feels as though he has to prove himself. Parker, who wasn't drafted by an NFL team, has the fourth-most rushing yards in the league over the past four years. "I feel if I was drafted, nobody would have asked me that question about the three-back system," Parker told the Post-Gazette. "Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how I feel. I feel since I'm undrafted, each and every year I have to prove myself. I'm out to prove myself again."