Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was expected to throw at Heinz Field today, offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said during a Zoom call with local media.
Roethlisberger hasn’t thrown at Heinz Field since leaving the Steelers’ Week 2 game against the Seattle Seahawks at halftime in 2019.
He made headlines earlier this summer for a video throwing to receivers Juju Smith-Schuster and Ryan Switzer filmed at a local Pittsburgh high school.
Wednesday, he’s expected to get in some passing work in front of the Steelers coaching staff for the first time.
“I did not get to see him in the offseason,” Fichtner said. “I caught glimpses of videos, which I’m sure everyone did, including him getting a haircut. I did see him throw on video and I have seen him now that the quarterbacks are allowed to be in the building and had some good conversations talking the ball.
“I believe he is getting ready to today go out and throw. It will be exciting to see that.”
Fichtner does not expect Roethlisberger to necessarily be back to his old form, just 10 months removed from surgery on his throwing elbow. The Steelers will work him back into the starter’s role slowly.
“We’ve got to kind of get a feel for where he’s at,” Fichtner said. “His arm and body will tell us. It’s not unusual for us to work a day or a half and day and get a day’s rest. He knows that routine.”
Regardless of how much he ends up working with the starting unit this training camp, when the Steelers finally get to take a their first fully padded practice on Aug. 17, Roethlisberger will be huddling up with the offensive starters once again.
In a world where so much has changed since he last took the field thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fichtner will appreciate that amount of normalcy.
“Normal now becomes Ben Roethlisberger back in the huddle.”