Tommy John of surgery fame offers words to Ben Roethlisberger

September 18, 2019

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Ben Roethlisberger is expected to undergo elbow surgery at some point in the near future, and someone who knows plenty about that is former MLB pitcher Tommy John. While the exact nature of the procedure Roethlisberger will have is unclear, John has offered some words of encouragement for the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback.

John, of course, is the player after whom the all-too-popular Tommy John surgery was named. On Tuesday, John wished Roethlisberger well with his rehab and told him to reach out if he needs anything along the way.

Hey @_BigBen7 Let me know if you need anything. Happy to talk with you if it’ll help.

Good luck with the rehab. The human body is an amazing thing. You’ll be back better than ever.

Take care.

— Tommy John (@TommyJohn288) September 17, 2019

For obvious reasons, Tommy John surgery is not nearly as common with football players as it is with baseball players. However, former Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme is probably the best Tommy John surgery story there is in the NFL, as he had the procedure on his throwing elbow in 2007 and led the team to a 12-4 record and a division title the following year.

“My arm felt better than it did in years after the surgery,” Delhomme told Mark Kaboly of The Athletic this week. “I felt relief immediately. The day I tore it is the day I felt relief. It would hurt for me to brush my teeth, wash my face, shake hands with anybody. Once it tore, I remember telling the trainer and the doctor that I slept great. I didn’t have that pain, and my arm didn’t kill me.”

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Tuesday that Roethlisberger is expected to have a procedure other than Tommy John surgery and the recovery time will be much quicker. The Steelers have yet to confirm that.

Either way, the 37-year-old Roethlisberger has thrown cold water on any talk that we have seen the last of him in the NFL. He seems intent on leading the Steelers again in 2020, and Delhomme’s case is proof that it can be done at a high level.