Ben Roethlisberger has said that he is fine with fans predicting a poor season for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The team missed out of the playoffs last season, having finished third in the AFC North, with a number of highly-rated players leaving the side during free agency.

However, the quarterback told KDKA-FM: "I'm fine with people saying that we're going to be terrible and, 'Let's overlook them', because that means our opponents are doing the same thing. I like that. I like being the hunter."

Roethlisberger, who has won two Super Bowls with the Steelers, missed three games in 2012 after sustaining a rib injury.