Ben Roethlisberger was nice enough to let us in on the secret about his injured right shoulder on Wednesday.
Thursday began the media's process of studying the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback for signs of trouble caused by a slight rotator cuff tear. Big Ben looked crisp in practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., throwing to teammates with velocity and accuracy.
All seemed well, just as the quarterback told reporters on Wednesday.
"He looks like the same old Ben to me, which is a great quarterback," tight end Heath Miller said, according to The Associated Press. "Nothing new on that front."
Roethlisberger's production dipped last season after he suffered shoulder injury in a Nov. 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, although that decline was likely best explained by the badly sprained ankle that limited him over the season's final month.
"You didn't see any drop-off in my play throwing the ball (last season)," he said. "And you haven't seen it yet (this summer)."
Of course, that won't stop the questions from continuing throughout training camp and into the season. Roethlisberger gave birth to this little drama -- now he'll have to feed it.
