Ben Roethlisberger shares nasty details of his elbow injury
Ben Roethlisberger has been throwing at practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers and appears to be on track to play in Week 1. Some details he shared on Tuesday about his elbow injury give us a better idea of how impressive that is.
Roethlisberger told reporters he tore three tendons off the bone in his throwing elbow. The injury was similar to the one that requires Tommy John surgery, and he does not believe any quarterback has ever come back from it.
#Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger tells reporters that he tore three flexor tendons off the bone, elbow surgery he believes no QB has ever come back from. Not Tommy John, but somewhat similar and very serious. That he looks and feels this good is impressive.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 4, 2020
Despite the severity of the injury, Roethlisberger said his arm “feels great” even after all the throws he has made recently.
#Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger says, “My arm feels really good. I threw a lot of balls yesterday.” Waking up today? “It feels great.” Says he’s been throwing more this offseason than usual. But still… he will have a “pitch count” during this unusual camp.
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) August 4, 2020
The Steelers shared a video of Roethlisberger throwing a pass at practice on Monday, and the 38-year-old did not appear to be limited in any way. Teammates have also raved about the work he has put in while rehabbing from the elbow surgery, which is a positive sign.
Roethlisberger missed almost the entire 2019 season after hurting his elbow, but he threw for 5,129 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2018. If he is truly 100 percent healthy, he should still be able to play at a high level.