Steelers believe Ben Roethlisberger can return even better in 2020
By Allison Cary
The Pittsburgh Steelers believe QB Ben Roethlisberger might be a better player when he returns to the field next season.
When veteran Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went down in Week 2 with an elbow injury, some people thought his playing career was over.
After all, the 37-year-old quarterback has already cemented his place in history with two Super Bowl titles and many franchise records. But Roethlisberger will be returning to Heinz Field in 2020 and Steelers’ general manager Kevin Colbert thinks he could be even better than before.
“We might have a better Ben Roethlisberger coming out of surgery,” Colbert said to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. “The possibility is real.”
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert says Big Ben progressing, but says “most exciting thing is we may have a better Ben Roethlisberger after surgery.”
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) February 25, 2020
Colbert noted that being away from football during the 2019 season rested Roethlisberger’s body and kept him from suffering any additional wear-and-tear. Roethlisberger has suffered other injuries in recent years, including an MCL sprain in 2015 and a knee injury in ’16. But the 2019 season marked the first time that Roethlisberger had missed 12 games or more since they drafted him in 2004.
Roethlisberger will also be highly-motivated when he returns to the field. The Steelers barely missed the 2019 playoffs, while their rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, finished as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Like many other veteran quarterbacks, Roethlisberger wants to prove he isn’t done with the NFL and he can still lead his team to greatness.
“I think he’ll come back hungrier,” Colbert said. “He’s not done.”
Mason Rudolph was the primary quarterback for the Steelers while Roethlisberger was out with injury. The second-year player out of Oklahoma State finished with a respectable 5-3 record, but towards the end of the year the team bounced back-and-forth between him and Devlin Hodges, an undrafted rookie out of Samford whom the Steelers signed as a free agent.
In 2018, Roethlisberger led the NFL in completions (452), attempts (675), and passing yards (5,129). But to win the AFC North, Roethlisberger will have to take down three young-and-talented quarterbacks.
Lamar Jackson will be leading the Ravens in his second-year as the starter and Baker Mayfield will be settling in to his third season with the Cleveland Browns. Additionally, the Cincinnati Bengals are expected to draft Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
The competition will be tough, but if what Colbert says is true, Roethlisberger will be ready.