Pittsburgh Steelers rookie center Maurkice Pouncey will not play in Super Bowl XLV due to a fracture in his ankle and a high ankle sprain, according to a league source.
Pouncey, and his teammates, have known this week that the standout rookie will not be able to play and that second-year undrafted free agent Doug Legursky will start Super Bowl XLV against the Green Bay Packers.
Legursky replaced Pouncey in the first quarter of last Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the New York Jets, and Pittsburgh did not appear to struggle much with the change at center.
Pouncey said after Sunday's game that he intended on playing in the Super Bowl. He was seen in a cast and on crutches Wednesday; later that day, teammate Chris Kemoeatu told reporters that Pouncey was not going to play in the Super Bowl. Kemoeatu backed off those comments Thursday.
Now Legursky will be asked to help defend, among others, Green Bay's 337-pound nose tackle, B.J. Raji, who in last Sunday's NFC Championship Game became the heaviest player in postseason history to score a touchdown when he intercepted a pass from Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie and returned it for a score.
Adam Schefter is ESPN's NFL Insider. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.