Ben Roethlisberger addresses rumor that he is following Tom Brady diet

Ben Roethlisberger says he has made more of an effort this offseason to take care of his body, but has the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback adopted the famous Tom Brady lifestyle? Let’s not go that far.

A report last month claimed Roethlisberger has been so committed to losing weight this offseason that he is on a stricter diet than Brady’s. Many found that difficult to believe, and for good reason. In an interview with Mark Maske of The Washington Post that was published Monday, Big Ben said he won’t be eating avocado ice cream anytime soon.

“So much was made a week or two [ago],” Roethlisberger said. “I mean, listen, as you get older — for the last four or five years, I’ve really focused on having a trainer, my body. Part of it’s football. But part of it’s life. I’m not getting any younger. I’m almost 40 years old. So you’ve got to take care of yourself. And nothing against Tom, but I’m not eating avocado ice cream. Yeah, you have a chef and you try and eat healthy. But you’re eating healthy because you want to be and feel good.”

There has been a lot of talk about Roethisberger slimming down, but he didn’t look much different when he showed up to training camp. He even joked that he is just wearing tighter shirts now.

Roethlisberger was considering retirement but worked out a restructured deal with the Steelers. The 39-year-old passed for 3,803 yards and 33 touchdowns last season. If he’s lost a few pounds and is taking better care of his body, that should only help.