NEW YORK --- Ben Roethlisberger is getting time off for good behavior.
He'll be back on the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers two games earlier than expected after convincing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell he is turning his life around.
The star quarterback, accompanied by team president Art Rooney, met with Goodell early Friday and was told he could return on Oct. 17 against Cleveland after missing four games.
He was suspended in April for six games for violating the league's personal conduct policy, but Goodell said at the time he would review the player's behavior over the next few months. Goodell was satisfied that Roethlisberger has followed the league's guidelines and stayed out of trouble.
"You have told me and the Steelers that you are committed to making better decisions," Goodell said in a letter to the two-time Super Bowl winner. "Your actions over the past several months have been consistent with that promise and you must continue to honor that commitment."
Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a Georgia college student following a night of drinking in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar on March 5. He was not charged by Georgia authorities.
"I have learned a lot over the past several months about myself as a person," Roethlisberger said in a statement. "I am committed to continuing on this path of being the type of person my family raised me to be, and exceeding what is expected of me as the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers."
While he is out, Roethlisberger can't practice with the Steelers, nor can he attend games or represent the team in any way, or have contact with the coaching staff or football operations personnel.
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