On Tuesday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would get a chance to prove he was healthy enough to do everything the Steelers expect from their quarterback during practices this week.
Based on what Tomlin had to say after practice on Wednesday, Roethlisberger was awfully close to meeting that goal. Roethlisberger took the majority of the snaps with the first team during the session and Tomlin liked what he saw when Roethlisberger put the ball in the air.
“I’ll see how his body responds in the morning and we’ll go from there,” Tomlin said, via the team’s website. “But it was a positive day today. He made all the necessary throws.”
Tomlin didn’t go much farther than calling it a positive day and “a good step,” although it’s hard to imagine that Roethlisberger won’t be the starter if he comes back to work on Thursday without suffering any downturn in his condition.
Once the Roethlisberger question is settled, the Steelers can turn their full attention to the rest of their injured players. Linebacker LaMarr Woodley, wide receiver Antonio Brown and safeties Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu all missed practice on Wednesday, making their conditions something to watch as the week unfolds before the Steelers host the Chargers.