Ben Roethlisberger said that he wouldn't shave his beard until he could complete an NFL caliber pass to one of his teammates. On Monday, the Steelers released a video of Roethlisberger achieving that goal, as Pittsburgh's quarterback threw passes to teammates JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner and Ryan Switzer. Roethlisberger, who missed most of the 2019 season after undergoing elbow surgery, also fulfilled his promise to shave off his beard, which he had been growing since last September. 

The video -- and Big Ben finally shaving his beard -- is another positive sign in Roethlisberger's ongoing recovery. Throughout the offseason, Roethlisberger, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh general manager Kevin Colbert have been providing encouraging updates as it relates to Roethlisberger, who is preparing for his 17th NFL season. 

"I know where Ben is, where he's been in his career, and I've never worried about his conditioning," Colbert recently told Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "When he shows up at training camp, he's ready to go. He knows how to prepare himself."

Colbert's comments on Big Ben mimicked what Tomlin said during a recent appearance on NFL Network. 

"As we sit here today, we're extremely confident in his readiness," said Tomlin, who has won two AFC titles and a Super Bowl with Roethlisberger as his quarterback. "We're enjoying the process that he's going through right now. Obviously, it's not without his angst. The guy's coming off of a season-ending injury/surgery. But we like where we are. He's throwing on a rehab schedule and it's going well. We fully anticipate him being ready to go for that opener." 

A true sign of the Steelers' faith in Roethlisberger is the fact that they are openly trying to surround him with talent in order to help him win a third Super Bowl before he hangs up his cleats for good. While the Packers spent a first-round pick selecting Aaron Rodgers' potential successor, the Steelers used several of their draft picks to complement Roethlisberger for the 2020 season and beyond. Pittsburgh also used free agency to plug several holes on offense, specifically at tight end and on the offensive line. 

After losing Ramon Foster (who retired in March) and B.J. Finney (who signed a two-year deal with Seattle), the Steelers signed former Eagles and Chiefs offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski, a starter on Kansas City's 2019 championship team. Pittsburgh also signed former Colts tight end Eric Ebron, who is two years removed from earning Pro Bowl honors after catching a career-high 13 touchdown passes. 

With their first pick in the draft (on Day 2), the Steelers selected Notre Dame receiver Chase Claypool, a big, strong target at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds who caught 13 touchdowns during his final season with the Fighting Irish. The Steelers spent a fourth-round pick on Maryland running back Anthony McFarland, who clocked the fourth-fastest time in the 40-yard dash among running backs at the combine. McFarland had a field day against Ohio State in 2018, ripping off runs of 81, 75 and 52 yards against one of the nation's best teams. 

Pittsburgh is hoping that these new additions will help compliment Smith-Schuster, Conner and the rest of the Steelers' offense. The addition of Claypool should allow Smith-Schuster to return to the slot, a position he flourished in during his two seasons playing alongside Antonio Brown. The Steelers are also hoping that receivers Diontae Johnson and James Washington continue to make strides after catching a combined 103 passes for 1,415 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019. Tomlin recently said that he is expecting Conner to resume his role as Pittsburgh's featured running back after an injury-riddled 2019 season. 

Roethlisberger, who threw for a league-high 5,129 yards his last full season under center, said that he feels healthier now than he has in recent offseasons. In order to get himself in position to be ready for the start of the 2020 season, Roethlisberger has been working out with his trainer five times a week. He also does cardio twice a week, legs twice a week, and upper body twice a week. Roethlisberger said that he is "lighter and in better shape than I was in either of the past two years. I haven't stopped working out."

"I have no doubts I'm going to be able to come back and play well — none," Roethlisberger told Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I have complete confidence in that. I'm throwing without pain for the first time in years. Some games, I would have a little pain. Some games, I would have a lot of pain. But in the New England game and the Seattle game [last season], it got to be too much. To be able to throw without pain now? That feels nice. That's a nice feeling. I know I'm not getting any younger, but I feel younger because I don't have any pain."