Roethlisberger drops 15 pounds in preparation for next season
Perhaps Ben Roethlisberger will be known as "Not-so-Big Ben" from now on.
The quarterback's agent, Ryan Tollner, revealed that his client lost at least 15 pounds this offseason on a "high-cardio" workout plan with Pittsburgh Steelers trainers.
Roethlisberger's inability to focus on maximizing his fitness last season due to a series of injuries apparently fueled his desire to slim down in preparation for the 2016 campaign.
"He couldn't really work out because he kept getting hurt," Tollner said, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. "I think he said after the season, you know what, I'm going to lose weight to alleviate potential pain in my joints."
The 34-year-old's efforts were apparent in recent pictures from a University of Pittsburgh football practice:
Great group of visitors at today's practice. @CoachTomlin, @_BigBen7, and Coach Harris. #PittSpringBall #H2P pic.twitter.com/qjC57pCyNc
— Pat Narduzzi (@CoachDuzzPittFB) March 31, 2016
Roethlisberger's size has always allowed him to take arguably more punishment than other NFL quarterbacks, but he was forced to miss four games last season due to injury.
Those hits will begin to take more of a toll as he enters the final portion of his career, so increasing his mobility to avoid them appears to be a smart move.