It was almost four months ago exactly that Ben Roethlisberger began throwing a football again. More videos have surfaced since then of Big Ben doing what he does best. Just don't ask coach Mike Tomlin for a current assessment on his starting quarterback.
The Steelers coach said it would be hearsay since he has not personally witnessed any of the rehab workouts.
For what it's worth, Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday that Roethlisberger himself is "pleased" with how he's progressing, and "the medical experts are comfortable with where he is in the rehabilitation process and his trajectory for the 2020 season."
Big Ben, of course, is coming off a season-ending injury to his right elbow that cost him 14 games last year. For all the punishment he's endured, it marked the first time in his 16-year career that he didn't play in at least 11 games. The Steelers' offense scuffled in his absence, prompting Tomlin to reiterate earlier this offseason that Roethlisberger remains firmly ahead of Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges on the depth chart.
How the 38-year-old gunslinger responds to the biggest injury of his career will go a long way in determining whether Pittsburgh can end a two-year playoff drought.
