Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is no spring chicken anymore. Big Ben is 36 years old and is heading into his 15th NFL season. As a result, Big Ben has decided not to be so big anymore for the sake of prolonging his NFL career.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Roethlisberger cut out sugar and carbs from his diet this offseason to lose weight and lighten the load on his body.

“Knees, ankles, being lighter — those are all positives when it comes to this age and playing football, where you're pounding on your knees and you've had a couple of knee surgeries,” said Roethlisberger. “Anything you can do to lighten the load on your knees is important.”

Fowler notes that Roethlisberger has looked noticeably slimmer at camp, although the Steelers QB has been secretive about just how much weight he’s lost.

It’s certainly promising to hear that Big Ben has taken steps in order to be at his best this season. Given his age and injury history, Roethlisberger will have to work that much harder to keep playing at a high level like his 40-year-old peers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

Taking care of his body is now a huge part of that equation now that he’s in his mid-30s. Aside from fixing his diet, he'll also need to exert a bit more effort in exercising and keeping in shape.

Hopefully, this can successfully allow him to play at a high level for at least another season or two as they go in search for another Super Bowl.