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Steelers' Mike Tomlin Pleased with Ben Roethlisberger's Elbow Surgery Recovery
August 6, 2020
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is happy with what he's seen from Ben Roethlisberger in his recovery from elbow surgery.
Per ESPN's Brooke Pryor, Tomlin said during a Zoom conference call he's "extremely comfortable" with where Roethlisberger is:
"I didn't see anything that was alarming in any way. His velocity is excellent. Maybe his spiral could be a little tighter. I've seen it tighter, but nothing to alarm you in any way.
"We're going to continue to proceed and proceed appropriately with him in an effort to have him ready to go when we step into a stadium."
Tomlin's comments come after Roethlisberger told reporters Tuesday his surgery involved reattaching three torn flexor tendons in his throwing elbow.
"From what I've been told, it's never happened to a quarterback of this magnitude," Roethlisberger said. "I believe there was at least another quarterback that had one, maybe two torn off, but from what I understand, not three."
The Steelers lost their six-time Pro Bowl quarterback in Week 2 last season, and their offense collapsed with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges starting games. They finished 27th in points per game (18.1), tied for 28th in passing touchdowns (18), 30th in total yards (4,428) and 31st in passing yards (2,981).
Those issues on offense offset a defense that ranked in the top five in points allowed per game (18.1). The Steelers were the only team in the top five of total yards allowed last season that didn't make the playoffs.
A healthy Roethlisberger could make the Steelers a Super Bowl contender in the AFC after an 8-8 record last year. The 38-year-old led the league in completions (452), attempts (675) and passing yards (5,129) in 2018. He also threw a career-high 34 touchdowns that season.