Ben Roethlisberger has not played in an NFL game in nearly a full year, and the Pittsburgh Steelers star is feeling like a rookie again heading into the 2020 season.
Roethlisberger told reporters on Wednesday that he is more nervous for the upcoming season than he has been in a long time. The 38-year-old said he expects to be “shaking like a leaf” prior to kickoff against the New York Giants on Monday night.
#Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger says on the way in this am, he thought: "Man, I'm actually nervous for this season." Says, "The way I feel now is more than I've felt in a long time. I'm sure it's going to intensify… Monday night, I'm sure I'm going to be shaking like a leaf."
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) September 9, 2020
Roethlisberger appears to be fully recovered from the elbow surgery he underwent last year. He played in just two games in 2019, and there were initially questions about whether or not he would retire. Big Ben openly contemplated retirement after a rough game a few years ago, but he has since said he isn’t going anywhere.
Given the nasty details about the elbow injury that Roethlisberger recently shared, it’s impressive he is ready to go for Week 1. The butterflies are certainly understandable — even for a veteran player.
Roethlisberger threw for 5,129 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2018. If he is truly 100 percent healthy, the Steelers could be a surprise team in the AFC.
