Ben Roethlisberger, the infamous starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has faced several injuries throughout his career. However, he has still managed to throw for 56,545 yards and 363 touchdowns during his 16 seasons in the NFL. The 38-year-old quarterback intends to come back healthier than ever and is looking ahead to the 2020 season.
On Sept.15, 2019, Roethlisberger left the field during the second quarter of a game against the Seattle Seahawks. He was feeling pain in his elbow and was almost immediately ruled out of the game by team doctors.
After receiving an MRI later that day, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Sept. 16 that Roethlisberger would need season-ending surgery on his elbow.
While many originally believed the elbow injury would require Tommy John surgery, this was later proved to not be the case.
“The Steelers committed three years to me this offseason and I fully intend to honor my contract and reward them with championship level play,” Roethlisberger said in a statement released on his official Twitter account. “I will do all I can to support Mason and the team this season to help win games.”
With Big Ben on the sidelines, the 2019 season began to look a lot different for a team who was expected to make a comeback after missing the playoffs following the 2018 regular season. The Steelers began alternating between two young quarterbacks, but neither ended up working out for the team struggling to stay afloat.
Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges get advice from an injured Ben Roethlisberger on the sidelines. Image Courtesy of USA TODAY Sports
Mason Rudolph, a second-year quarterback out of Oklahoma State University, first replaced Roethlisberger in week two.
During the few games Rudolph started for the Steelers, he encountered several problems and injuries, starting with a scary hit in a game against the Baltimore Ravens which later resulted in a concussion. Later in the season, he suffered a left shoulder injury.
Devlin “Duck” Hodges, an undrafted rookie from Samford, was next to replace Roethlisberger. Hodges started strong in his first two games against the Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals.
After these games, though, Hodges began looking uncomfortable on the field, especially in the pocket. The Steelers lost the last several games that Hodges started, with the exception of one last start from Rudolph.
Although the 2019 season did not end how he anticipated, Roethlisberger is looking forward to being back on the field in the fall of 2020.
After his surgery, many fans and reporters were skeptical as to whether or not he would be prepared so soon. However, it appears that Roethlisberger has been throwing around quite a bit with teammates including JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner and Ryan Switzer.
In a video posted to Roethlisberger’s Twitter account, the quarterback was also seen getting his beard trimmed. Following his injury, he decided this would not happen until he could safely and comfortably throw with teammates again.
“He’s back, stay tuned!” Smith-Schuster said in the video.
In an interview on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Conner displayed confidence in his quarterback.
“I feel like he’s back,” Conner told Cowherd. “He has no fear. I trust his word. He says he feels healthy, so, you know, he’s been slinging that thing around, and we’re excited about it.”
Featured Image Courtesy of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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