PITTSBURGH -- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was on the field eight days after knee surgery to repair his left meniscus, said Tuesday that he's hoping to practice next week.
Roethlisberger confirmed on his radio show on 93.7 The Fan that he did some individual work at practice but is not committing to a timetable for his return.
"I'm taking it day to day, but my goal is to practice next week," said Roethlisberger, who threw passes to the tight end group early in Tuesday's practice, according to tight end Xavier Grimble.
"I need to know what I can and can't do ... I don't want to [hurt the team]. In this situation, it would be smart to get a good, full practice in," Roethlisberger said.
He added on his show that he hopes eventually he'll reach a point at which he's not thinking about the knee and is playing with a clear conscience.
The Steelers are on a bye week.
"It's always good to catch passes from him, and obviously can't wait to have him back, him being our leader and everything," Grimble said.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported last week that Roethlisberger could miss up to four to six weeks. Landry Jones was the starting quarterback in the Steelers' 27-16 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.
A source said the team has been cautiously optimistic that Roethlisberger could return for Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Steelers announced tight end Ladarius Green is returning to practice this week. He's activated from the physically unable to perform list. When asked about Roethlisberger throwing a ball high for Green to leap and catch, Green said Big Ben "wanted to see what I could do."
"I had to jump up and trust (the ankle), and it held up," Green said.