Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told NFL.com's Aditi Kinkhabwala over the weekend that Ben Roethlisberger still had a little bit of discomfort in his surgically repaired knee entering training camp.
The quarterback insisted Monday that his knee is a non-issue.
"It feels great," Roethlisberger told Solomon Wilcots on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access." "I was excited to get back here. Took a big break after the surgery, took a couple weeks off, and I did that on purpose so I could have time to rest."
A svelte-looking Roethlisberger said he started his workout program earlier than usual this offseason. He's now "really focused" about "getting back to playing good football" after the Steelers stood on the sidelines during the playoffs last season.
Roethlisberger also has put to rest any perceived "hatred" or "butting heads" between himself and coordinator Todd Haley, telling the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review over the weekend the two are on the same page with an offense that combines "the best of all of us ... what we can do together."
The departure of Mike Wallace and the uncertainty surrounding Heath Miller's knee no longer seem as daunting after the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens lost Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta. As long as the Steelers still have the best quarterback in the AFC North -- and they do -- they should remain in the thick of the division race all season long.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
