We're five weeks into the 2016 NFL season, and every team is dealing with an array of injures. The Pittsburgh Steelers are just as beat up, if not more, than other teams across the league. Ben Roethlisberger believes he knows why.

The injury report for the Steelers just continues to grow each week. At the rate it's going, Pittsburgh is going to have a lot of lower-tier guys having to contribute in big roles.

Pittsburgh's All-Pro quarterback believes the intensity and physical nature of the team's practices is the primary cause for all of the aches and pains.

From Ed Bouchette of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

“We have a lot of injuries,” Roethlisberger said on his radio spot on 93.7 The Fan Tuesday. “I think a lot of our stuff stems from we’re one of the most physical football teams in training camp, in practice, you know. We do more hitting than most teams do and more [practices in] pads.”

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Here are some of the biggest names who have missed time with injuries: Ryan Shazier, Marcus Gilbert, Ramon Foster, Markus Wheaton, and Eli Rogers. Roethlisberger noted that the Steelers had been in pads for two weeks when they staged joint practices with the Detroit Lions. At that point, Detroit was yet to put on pads.

The Steelers are rolling at 4-1, but if bigger contributors go down, Pittsburgh could be in a heap of trouble.

More from Big Ben:

“I think sometimes it takes a toll on some guys, you know, hamstrings and quads and guys reinjuring things.”

Roethlisberger did not finger his coaches by name but did offer this:

“We talk about being a physical football team and we are a physical football team, but we also have to take care of our guys.”