LATROBE, Pa. -- Ben Roethlisberger strolls into his 16th NFL season at 37 years old. During that stretch under center for the Steelers, he's started 214 games and taken 501 sacks — third-most all-time. He's suffered concussions, a foot fracture, a shoulder separation, an MCL sprain, a torn meniscus and various other injuries as a result of the wear-and-tear of life as an NFL quarterback.
All things considered, Roethlisberger should probably expect to start feeling the effects of Father Time.
He's not.
"I’d like to think that my arm is just as strong [as when I was a rookie]," Roethlisberger was telling reporters at Saint Vincent College. "I really spend a lot of time with my trainer working on my shoulders and back and things for throwing. I’d like to think that my arm hasn’t dropped off."
To Roethlisberger, getting older and taking some damage has actually forced him to make some necessary improvements to his game. While the pain is never ideal, he views certain bumps and bruises as a blessing in disguise.
"And really, as you get older, you have to work on mobility and things like that, so a lot of stuff we’ve been working on is kind of short-area, in-the-pocket-type movement," Roethlisberger added. "So truthfully, physically, I feel as good as I have. Obviously, the knees and things wear down a little bit as you get older, but I still feel sharp mentally too, so that’s important.”
It's not just lip service. Last year, Roethlisberger set career highs and led the league in completions (452) and yards (5,129). He also set a personal best with 34 touchdowns, trailing only Patrick Mahomes (50), Andrew Luck (39), Matt Ryan (35) and Russell Wilson (35) in that category. While he appears to somehow only now be hitting his peak as a quarterback, he was quick to admit one area in which his rookie self would smoke 37-year-old Roethlisberger.
“I’m not quite as fast — not that I was ever really a blazer," Roethlisberger joked.
In 2019, Roethlisberger will work with a fresh arsenal on offense. With Antonio Brown traded to the Raiders, JuJu Smith-Schuster — who led the team in receptions (111) and yards (1,426) last year — will take over as the No. 1 receiver.
Behind him will be newly-signed Donte Moncrief, second-year player James Washington, rookie Diontae Johnson and, likely, slot specialists Eli Rogers and Ryan Switzer.
Add the three-headed beast of James Conner, Jaylen Samuels and Benny Snell at running back to the expected emergence of Vance McDonald at tight end, and there's a lot for Roethlisberger to feel excited about in 2019. Sure, Brown commanded 168 targets alone last season — but Roethlisberger sees that as an opportunity, not an insurmountable challenge.
Switzer jokingly suggested he should get all of Brown's looks this year. And Roethlisberger was game to play along.
“We’ll just let Ryan get all 170, since he brought it up," Roethlisberger laughed. "I think ... my game has kind of always been that way anyway, spread the ball around, get it to guys that are open, the best matchups, things like that. I think it will be a combination of a lot of guys, I really do, from tight ends to running backs to receivers. Moncrief being the new guy here, we expect him to do a lot of things, so I’m really excited about all the guys.”
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