Kevin Colbert, Steelers expecting Ben Roethlisberger to make 'complete recovery' in 2020

Forget about the Pittsburgh Steelers pursuing a backup quarterback in free agency next month.

General manager Kevin Colbert became the latest team official to squash talk of the team adding a veteran to dress behind starter Ben Roethlisberger.

Colbert said Thursday the Steelers are “hopeful” Roethlisberger will make a “complete recovery” from right elbow surgery, and they are “comfortable” with the other four quarterbacks on the offseason roster.

That echoes what coach Mike Tomlin and team president Art Rooney II said after the Steelers concluded the 2019 season with an 8-8 record.

Roethlisberger is scheduled to have his elbow examined in Los Angeles on Feb. 21 by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the surgeon who performed the quarterback’s surgery. Roethlisberger, though, turns 38 next month and just witnessed two quarterbacks from his draft class — Eli Manning and Philip Rivers — either retire or leave their original team.

“We have to be realistic,” Colbert said. “He’s a great quarterback who suffered a season-ending injury to his right arm. Optimistically, he’s on schedule to return, and we hope he’ll return to be a better Ben Roethlisberger than he was previous to the injury.”

Behind Roethlisberger on the depth chart are Mason Rudolph, who is entering his third NFL season, and former undrafted free agent Devlin Hodges, who started six games as a rookie. Paxton Lynch, a former first-round draft pick, spent most of the year on the roster, and former Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett was signed to a futures contract.

“We understand who our backups are, and we’re comfortable with who our backups are,” Colbert said. “I thought they did a representable job in 2019 under the circumstances.”

Roethlisberger has two years and $68 million remaining on his contract. Although Manning retired in January and Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers agreed to part ways last week, Colbert doesn’t see their situations as comparable to Roethlisberger’s.

“We’re hopeful he can make a complete recovery, and as of right now, he’s on schedule for that,” Colbert said. “Where that goes remains to be seen.”

Rudolph was 5-3 as a starter. Although he lost his job to Hodges after suffering a concussion and playing poorly against Cincinnati, Rudolph returned in the second half against New York in the penultimate game before he suffered a season-ending injury.

He will enter the offseason as the No. 2 quarterback. Hodges, who was 3-3 as a starter, will compete with Lynch and Barrett for the third spot.

“I’m comfortable that Mason could do that again if called upon,” Colbert said. “That is why there is a comfort level with our backup situation.”

Lynch hasn’t played since 2017 and was only active for two games after he was signed to the practice squad following Roethlisberger’s injury.

“We probably haven’t seen the best of what he can do,” Colbert said.

Colbert called Barrett, who set numerous school records at Ohio State, a “national championship-caliber quarterback that played in different types of systems.”

Barrett spent parts of two seasons on the New Orleans Saints practice squad before finishing last year on the Steelers practice squad.

“With the changing NFL, having a player like JT available, too … we feel comfortable with those four guys as we enter camp,” Colbert said. “How we feel as we enter August, we’ll see.”