Ben Roethlisberger: 'No dull aches, no pains' in elbow as Steelers training camp ramps up

When the Pittsburgh Steelers exit the practice field each day, offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner approaches quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with the same question.

“How do you feel today?”

The answer — predictably — is the same.

“He says I feel fine,” Fichtner said Thursday.

This year, Fichtner believes the answer more strongly than in past seasons, when the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback routinely would mask discomfort in his wrist, forearm, elbow or shoulder.

Roethlisberger’s words would say one thing. His body language would tell another story. Fichtner would notice Roethlisberger tugging at his wrist, loosening his shoulder or shaking his arm by his side.

“I’ve seen him in meetings spending it twisting his wrist to get comfort,” Fichtner said.

Fichtner has seen none of those effects this summer, which is why he believes that Roethlisberger, entering his 17th NFL season at age 38, is fully recovered from elbow surgery that limited him to six quarters of football in 2019.

“When he says it, I don’t notice anything that would lead me to believe he doesn’t (feel fine),” Fichtner said.

In the first part of a documentary series released Wednesday, Roethlisberger detailed a minor tendon tear in his right elbow that perhaps dates to his rookie season in 2004. It was the reason behind the irritation or ache he would feel in his elbow in subsequent seasons.

But after having three tendons reattached to the bone in September, Roethlisberger finally is free of such discomfort.

“No dull aches, no pains,” Roethlisberger said Thursday. “If I throw two or three days in a row real heavy, I’ll get some fatigue. I think that’s pretty normal. But there are no more sharp pains, dull pains or anything in that elbow.

“And I’m thankful for that.”

So are the Steelers, who are counting on a healthy Roethlisberger to improve on last year’s 8-8 record, return the franchise to the postseason after a two-year absence and add a seventh Lombardi Trophy to the collection.

It was a bit of a surprise when Roethlisberger took the field last week, the first time players were permitted to don pads, and practiced three days in a row and five times overall. That was a departure from Roethlisberger’s typical camp routine, which he adopted after turning 30, in which he would participate fully one day, partially the next and then take a day off.

“It’s been feeling really good,” Roethlisberger said. “I definitely need to give it some time to rest, have that one day off every so often. There’s general fatigue and soreness, but it’s amazing how fast it bounces back and it feels great the next day.”

Fichtner didn’t hesitate to endorse the modified plan for Roethlisberger, although it came with some conditions. Roethlisberger would limit the amount of throwing he did in individual work before practice and then also after practice when receivers and tight ends like to get extra throws from the quarterbacks.

“We’ll always be on somewhat of a pitch count,” Fichtner said.

Fichtner also has given Roethlisberger the chance to opt out of certain drills, particularly ones that require deep throws to the receivers. With training camp in the midst of its second week, Roethlisberger so far hasn’t taken the bait.

Roethlisberger admittedly was curious to see how his elbow would hold up under such circumstances. And he was concerned in a recent practice when he let one fly on a go-route for a receiver.

“I wasn’t able to step into it, and when it left my hand, it felt like when the ball came out it was going to be short,” Roethlisberger said. “It ended up making it there in stride. I was pleasantly surprised with how my arm strength has come back maybe better than it was before.”

The true test won’t come, of course, until Sept. 14 when the Steelers open the season at the New York Giants. Without any preseason games this year, the Steelers went through a dry run Saturday night at Heinz Field by wearing game uniforms, doing pregame conditioning routines and having players introduced coming out of the tunnel. They are conducting similar game-like simulations this week.

“After the first period, he came up to me and said, ‘My knees were shaking, and it’s just the media in the stands,’ ” Fichtner said. “I guess you would expect that. You know how much he cares and how much he has put back into it to be back, and those feelings are going to happen.”