Mike Tomlin praises Big Ben, says QB's arm velocity is 'excellent'

Ben Roethlisberger is coming off surgery that forced him to miss most of last season and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says that so far, Big Ben's arm has looked excellent.

"I didn't see anything that was alarming in any way," Tomlin said. "His velocity is excellent. Maybe his spiral could be a little tighter. I've seen it tighter, but nothing to alarm you in any way."

Earlier this week, Roethlisberger revealed that he actually suffered three torn elbow tendons, which is highly unusual, even by NFL standards. But Roethlisberger has remained confident that he will be at full strength for the start of his 17th season in the league. 

The Steelers are hoping that Roethlisberger can once again make their team a contender, as they missed the playoffs last season. However, despite having to start Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges at quarterback, the Steelers will still able to outperform expectations thanks to their elite defense. If Roethlisberger is able to match his previous performances, the Steelers believe they could challenge the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North title.

Roethlisberger says he has thrown "two to three days a week" for the last two months in preparation for the upcoming season and says that his arm has been feeling good as he's ramped up his conditioning.

"I threw a lot of balls yesterday," Roethlisberger said. "I was kind of waking up today to see how it was going to feel, and it feels great. That's kind of what I anticipated because we have been working more than usual in the offseason in terms of throwing.