There was a lot of speculation that the Pittsburgh Steelers were hoping quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would retire during this offseason, which would allow them to figure out their future plan at the position. When Big Ben decided he was going to run it back, he was met with some scrutiny. But also a lot of support from endearing Steelers fans.
While Roethlisberger has stayed mostly quiet throughout the offseason, he’s now opening up about how much longer he sees himself playing in the NFL. When asked if this was his last year, Roethlisberger was still non-committal.
“I’m going to approach this season like I approach every season, like it’s my last,” Roethlisberger told ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “Every game could be your last game. I’ve never looked toward the future. I look toward the here and now.”
Roethlisberger's contract voids after 2021, so I asked if this was his last season: "I'm going to approach this season like I approach every season, like it's my last. Every game could be your last game. … I've never looked toward the future. I look toward the here and now."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) June 1, 2021
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Ben Roethlisberger also attempted to squash any notion that they Steelers ever asked him about retirement, saying it was his idea to take a pay cut, and that the team wanted him to come back all along.
Ben Roethlisberger on why he was so quick to tell the #Steelers he wanted to come back: "If they wanted me back, I felt I could give them everything I got."
He says it was his idea to take the pay cut. He felt "it was necessary to do that" to help the team.— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) June 1, 2021
Honestly, I don’t see a better plan for the 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers other than Ben Roethlisberger. They didn’t have a high draft pick, and would need time to develop a young QB. And Mason Rudolph has pretty much proven that he’s nothing more than a backup QB in the league.
Anybody who says the Steelers should move off of Ben Roethlisberger needs to understand that he is the best option for a Steelers team that plans to contend next season.
Roethlisberger might not have much left in the tank, but he’s the best option for Pittsburgh right now, and we’re about to find out if the future Hall of Famer can still win.
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