The Steelers believe quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will make a full recovery from his elbow surgery, ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter) hears. Big Ben went under the knife on Sept. 23 to reattach three tendons in his right arm, but team doctors seem to think that he’ll be good to go in 2020.

Although the veteran has not been cleared to resume throwing, Roethlisberger is trending in that direction. The Steelers, meanwhile, are keeping their fingers crossed, since Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges haven’t been consistent in his stead.

Roethlisberger, 38 in March, recently inked a lucrative contract extension that will should him under club control through 2021. At the time, GM Kevin Colbert said that the contract would likely be Big Ben’s last.

“What [Roethlisberger] wants is more Super Bowls. And he wants to continue to try to win, and we’re gonna support that,” Colbert said. “And that was a big part of why we were willing to do what we did, and now it’s our job to help him help us get there.”

Big Ben has earned six Pro Bowl nods in his 16-year career. Without him for most of the season, the Steelers have still managed an 8-7 record, setting them up for a do-or-die Week 17 game against the Ravens. A Steelers win coupled with a Titans loss to the Texans would give them a Wild Card berth and a shot at another ring.

Ben Roethlisberger is done for the year after suffering a serious elbow injury and many have speculated that this could ultimately end his career. But, Big Ben, who turns 38 in March, says that won’t be the case. 

[RELATED: Big Ben Done For Year]

“The Steelers committed three years to me this offseason and I fully intend to honor my contract and reward them with championship-level play,” he said (via ESPN.com).

Thanks to his three-year, $80MM extension, Big Ben is under contract through the 2021 season. Before the injury, the buzz was centered on whether Roethlisberger would, or would not, play beyond ’21. Many doubt that Big Ben can bounce back and play next season, but both the quarterback and head coach Mike Tomlin believe he will.

“He fully intends to come back from his injury, and everything we’ve heard, we’re comfortable that’s a strong possibility,” Tomlin said.

For now, the Steelers will turn to Mason Rudolph with the newly-promoted Devlin Hodges as his backup.

A decision is expected today on whether Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will need elbow surgery, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Big Ben, naturally, wants to avoid the operation, but that will ultimately be determined by medical professionals. 

Roethlisberger has not missed a game due to injury since Week 7 of the 2016 season. He’s always been tough, durable, and able to play through the pain, but this injury probably sideline him for at least some time.

Surgery or no surgery, the Steelers figure to turn to Mason Rudolph as their starter beginning in Week 3. After Big Ben exited, Rudolph went 12-of-19 for 112 yards, two scores, and an INT.

This, of course, is the last thing the Steelers wanted. They’re 0-2 to start the year and, making matters worse, they’re waiting for word on the knee injury suffered by running back James Conner.

The Steelers recently inked quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a lucrative contract extension that will keep him under club control through 2021. At the time, GM Kevin Colbert said that the contract would likely be Big Ben’s last.

That jibed with the sentiments that Colbert expressed earlier this year when he first indicated that he was exploring a new deal for his star quarterback. But now he’s suggesting that he would be open to keeping Roethlisberger around in 2022 — which would be Roethlisberger’s age-40 season — and beyond.

Colbert said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk), “I know [Roethlisberger] doesn’t have an expiration date. We just felt that [the extension] was a foreseeable future that we were able to do, and he was agreeable to. But I’m sure that he doesn’t have an expiration date. I know that he’s still very competitive. He still wants to do this at a high level.”

Of course, Tom Brady will be 42 before the season starts, Drew Brees will play his age-40 season this year, and Peyton Manning was almost 40 when he played his last game. Although those future Hall-of-Famers have not absorbed as many hits as Roethlisberger throughout their careers, they have shown that geriatric signal-callers have plenty to offer.

Colbert added, “What [Roethlisberger] wants is more Super Bowls. And he wants to continue to try to win, and we’re gonna support that. And that was a big part of why we were willing to do what we did, and now it’s our job to help him help us get there.”