Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn't know when NFL teams will be permitted to hold workouts or practices again. But he knows he'll be good to go once that day comes. 

"Oh, yeah, absolutely," he said, per Ed Bouchette of The Athletic. "My plan was to be out there doing individuals, doing one-on-one routes during OTAs and minicamps. That obviously is not going to happen. But if I was ready then, I'll be ready when it's time."

He added that his rehabilitation on his right elbow is going well:

"Now that we don't have those (practices), we took a step back and backed up a week. We said let's just make sure and slow it down some more and take it even a step slower. It's going really, really well, though. The doctor is very ultra-conservative moving forward. We're just trying to be smart, and putting the brakes on me a lot because I was kind of, 'Go, go, go.' You know me, trying to get back out there."

Roethlisberger appeared in just two games in the 2019 season, throwing for 351 yards and an interception. He had surgery on his elbow on Sept. 23, ending his season. 

Big Ben provided an update on his recovery routine Monday.

"The [elbow] rehab now consists of just throwing," he said. "I just got done throwing outside today. It's a beautiful day so we go outside and throw. We're still able to rehab and do everything I normally would be doing right now. If it’s wet, we do it in the front on the driveway, and in the back we have grass."

In his stead, Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges struggled under center:

• Rudolph: 1,765 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, nine interceptions, 62.2 completion percentage. 
• Hodges: 1,063 passing yards, five touchdowns, eight interceptions, 62.5 completion percentage. 

In turn, the Steelers finished just 8-8, missing the postseason for the second straight. It was just the second time the Steelers have missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 2000.

The concern for the Steelers is that the team doesn't appear to have the long-term replacement for Roethlisberger on the roster. While Big Ben is on schedule to return as the team's starter this season, he's also 38 years old and there's no guarantee he'll be able to play at a high level for much longer.

For now, Roethlisberger remains the team's franchise quarterback. But last season was a stark reminder that a good backup plan is necessary in Pittsburgh.