Veteran Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joe Haden should know quarterback Ben Roethlisberger pretty good at this point in his career. After all, not only had Haden been with the Steelers since 2017, but he also played against Roethlisberger the first seven years of his career as a member of the Cleveland browns. In sort, Haden should be a good source when it comes to judging how Roethlisberger’s arm looks so far this offseason.
On Friday, Haden was a guest on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ and during his interview he was asked to give his thoughts on how Roethlisberger’s arm has looked so far this summer in practices.
“Oh, it’s looking sweet,” Haden said. “It’s looking sweet. I’m really happy for him, man. I mean, I think that he took a lot of rest. Like just with his recovery, he took a lot of throws during last offseason, and I think this offseason he took a lot of time off just to get rest on his arm. So, his arm looks definitely fresh.”
Haden’s opinion of Roethlisberger’s arm certainly is encouraging, and it pretty much matches the firsthand reports coming out of training camp this year. On Thursday, Roethlisberger was asked if his arm still feels as fresh as it did at the start of training camp
“Yeah, I feel great,” Roethlisberger said. “My arm feels really fresh. It feels good. It feels back to normal.”
Roethlisberger has made it known several times since the 2020 season ended that late last season his arm may have become a bit fatigued, mainly due to him needing to throw a lot more during the offseason than he usually does because of him needing to rehab his surgically repaired elbow. Roethlisberger is now nearly 23 months removed from his elbow surgery and he’s played in 16 games in that span, as well.
The fact that this past offseason was a normal one for Roethlisberger will hopefully bode well for the 39yearold quarterback when it comes to his arm holding up all season long. By the sound of what Haden said on Friday, Roethlisberger’s arm has never been better.
“I don’t know how many more years going forward, but right now my man Ben looks good,” Haden said.
Roethlisberger will make his 2021 preseason debut Saturday night at Heinz Field against the Detroit Lions. He’s expected to play at least one full quarter in that contest and maybe even most of the first half.
