PITTSBURGH — Looking leaner and more fit than on any of his other 17 opening days of training camp, Ben Roethlisberger begins a season that he — and even some members of the Steelers organization — wasn’t sure would exist for the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback.
But here he is, ready to embark on his 18th NFL season, equipped with a new offensive line, the best running back in the 2021 draft, his sixth offensive coordinator and a throwing elbow that no longer requires the medical scrutiny that existed a year ago.
It will all seem so different for Roethlisberger, and Thursday was an immediate reminder. For the first time since 2010, he lined up behind a starting center other than Maurkice Pouncey when he took snaps from rookie Kendrick Green, who was pronounced the starting center for the first preseason game by coach Mike Tomlin.
“You’ll never fill the shoes of Maurkice Pouncey,” Roethlisberger said on the first day of training camp practice at the team’s UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side. “Pounce was in a class of his own. That’s what made him special and the relationship we had. That’s what made the relationship special.”
But it’s not just Pouncey. Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro, left tackle Al Villanueva and left guard Matt Feiler are also gone. All five starters on the offensive line are either new or playing different positions, including veteran Trai Turner, who was signed to replace DeCastro. That also includes right tackle Zach Banner, who started only three quarters in the 2020 season opener before sustaining a season-ending ACL injury.
“It’s tough, all those guys ... gone," Roethlisberger said. "It’s not easy. But we have guys willing and capable and excited to fill the roles. We’re all excited what they can do. But it’s going to be different. I’ve been blessed to have older guys who have been here numerous years. It’s definitely going to be different.”
The least experienced, of course, is Green, the team’s third-round draft choice who was selected to be Pouncey’s immediate replacement. Green started only four of his 31 games at Illinois at center, but Roethlisberger has already seen a quick transition.
“He’s got a passion for the game, a passion to be the starting center,” Roethlisberger said. “He knows the shoes he has to fill. He stayed here during the break. He’s taking this personal. He wants to be the best. He doesn’t want there to be a drop-off.”
That is a question the 2021 Steelers will attempt to answer, as well — will there be a drop-off from last season’s 12-4 team that started a franchise-record 11-0 and won the AFC North title?
There was a point not long after the season that ended with a disastrous playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns where it was unclear if Roethlisberger would get to return for another season. He was receiving mixed signals from the club about his future — some even publicly — and thought the organization was hoping he would make the decision to move on for them.
But he never wavered from what he wanted to do, which was return for one last shot at the Super Bowl. He offered to restructure his contract, even play for free, to ease the $41.2 million hit he would count against the salary cap.
Roethlisberger and the Steelers eventually settled on a one-year deal worth $14 million, which constituted a $5 million pay cut. The contract included four voidable years to lessen his cap hit, meaning he will count $25.91 million against the salary cap in 2021.
Roethlisberger showed up for meetings on Wednesday wearing a T-shirt that said “Different,” which could have so many diverse meanings for him and a Steelers roster that has undergone so many changes. But it was given to him by Micah Tyler, a Christian singer and friend who has a hit song called “Different.”
Social media was alive with comments about how lean and trim Roethlisberger appeared, but it was really no different from recent seasons when the 6-foot-5, 250-pound quarterback reported to camp in outstanding shape, thanks to his work with a nutritionist and trainer.
“As you get older, we all have to find ways to exercise more, eat better; I’ve been doing that for a few years now,” Roethlisberger said. “You work on your diet, you work on exercise, you have to do everything you can to get yourself ready to play this game at this age for this many years.”
One area in which Roethlisberger did not have to concentrate — at least, not like last season — was his throwing arm. After having major elbow surgery that caused him to miss most of the 2019 season, Roethlisberger spent a lot of the offseason last year throwing to test his injury and strengthen his arm. He did not do that this year, which is why he said his arm feels a “lot fresher” than last year.
“I had thrown thousands of footballs to get ready for this (last year),” Roethlisberger said. “Today was the first time I’ve thrown since minicamp, other than throwing to my son in the backyard. It feels more normal. My arm feels really, really good.”
Because he is learning a new offense being installed by coordinator Matt Canada, Roethlisberger said the offseason probably involved more mental preparation than physical preparation. He said a lot of the plays may look the same — like a touchdown he threw in practice to Diontae Johnson — but the call and the blocking formations are entirely different.
He also said the percentage of run-game formations is much higher than it was under Randy Fichtner, another indication of the Steelers’ commitment to fixing the league’s worst rushing attack.
“It’s not even close,” Roethlisberger said. “If you notice, I’m looking at the wristband quite a bit. All the quarterbacks are. New isn’t always bad, it’s just new.
“I knew that’s what was going to happening. We knew when Matt was coming in it would be a lot of new stuff. He told me about this. It’s a challenge, but I’m excited for the challenge. It’s a little tougher, but I’m going into it full speed ahead to be the best I can.”
