It’s been a long time since anyone has played an NFL game, but Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s wait has been longer than most.
Roethlisberger missed the final 14 games of the 2019 season due to the right elbow injury that he had surgically repaired after being shut down for the season. Roethlisberger’s wait for game action was extended because of the cancelled preseason and he admitted to feeling nervous about finally getting on the field while speaking with reporters Wednesday.
“I am sure it’s going to intensify as the week goes on, then Monday night I am sure I am going to be shaking like a leaf,” Roethlisberger said, via the team’s website. “It’s one of those things you get out there and hopefully it all comes back to me really quick. There is going to be rust, no doubt about it. Hopefully we can get it knocked off sooner rather than later. That is what makes it fun. If I wasn’t nervous, if I didn’t have that anxiousness, you shouldn’t be out there. If there is not a love for the game, if you don’t have that. Since I have those nerves already it shows I still love this game, I am still passionate for it. I want to go out and win for the fans, the city.”
Roethlisberger’s form will be a determining factor in how the 2020 season goes for the Steelers and that makes it likely that some others in Pittsburgh are feeling some anxiety about what the offense will look like on Wednesday night.