Joy Fera / Shutterstock.com
Ben Roethlisberger was a famous quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He won two Super Bowls and went to the Pro Bowl six times. Many people think he’s the best quarterback the Steelers ever had, even better than Terry Bradshaw. After he stopped playing football, Ben stayed close to the Steelers. He even started a podcast called ‘Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger’ that some fans really like.
Roethlisberger has often been seen as not very supportive of the quarterbacks who followed him in Pittsburgh. When the Steelers drafted Mason Rudolph in 2018, Ben wasn’t happy. He thought they should have picked someone who could help immediately rather than a future backup.
“I felt that we could have drafted a position — offense or defense — that could have helped us. Not a guy that was going to be a potential backup, sure maybe have the job in the future. That’s where I was more frustrated. It had nothing to do with Mason personally,” Roethlisberger said of Rudolph.
Years later, in 2023, Ben admitted he was selfish about Kenny Pickett’s success. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but who cares at this point. I wouldn’t say that I wanted Kenny to necessarily fail, but like when someone comes to replace you and I still feel like I had it, I hope he doesn’t come and like ball out. Because then it’s like ‘Ben who,’ right?” he confessed.
Both Rudolph and Pickett eventually moved on without making a big impact. Now, Ben’s comments about Justin Fields are raising eyebrows too. Fields played some games for the Steelers but might be replaced by Russell Wilson.
Ben suggested Fields try playing as a receiver sometimes. “I would like to see, line him up at receiver a couple times,” Roethlisberger said. The idea is to confuse opponents, but it’s risky if Fields agrees since switching positions can be tricky.
Roethlisberger’s advice seems meant to help, but given his history with replacements, it feels off.
