Ben Roethlisberger was in tears during the final moments of the Steelers’ 48-37 loss to the Browns. Considering that he missed a Super Bowl and several other great postseason games, Roethlisberger’s tears, along with him and Maurkice Pouncey, remaining on the pitch long after his teammates went to the locker room, led to post-game questions about your future with the Steelers.
Roethlisberger, who made four touchdowns and four interceptions in Sunday night’s defeat, did not say definitively whether or not he would play again next season. He said he would like to go back to Pittsburgh if he is in an 18th NFL season.
“It will start between me and God,” said Roethlisberger, whose playoff record dropped to 13-9 after Sunday’s defeat. “A lot of prayer. And a lot of conversation with my family. I still have another year on my contract. I hope the Steelers will want me back, if that’s how we’re going.”
When asked about Roethlisberger and Pouncey’s futures (who was also hired until the 2021 season), Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said the team would begin the process of evaluating the list soon. Tomlin said he believes Roethlisberger is capable of playing at a high level when asked during his post-game press conference.
Roethlisberger had a very successful 2020 season. After major elbow surgery wiped out most of his 2019 season, Roethlisberger’s name was in the middle of the NFL MVP conversation after helping the Steelers win their first 11 games. Things started to fail for Big Ben and the Steelers after their hot start. Pittsburgh recipients started launching passes. His racing game dropped to 32nd in the league. Questions began to arise regarding Roethlisberger’s health. The Steelers defense, the best of the NFL during the first half of the season, lost its second holder – linebacker Bud Dupree – due to a knee injury at the end of the season in week 12. They then lost Joe Haden (who was on COVID – List 19) before Sunday night’s defeat by Haden’s former team.
Big Ben ended the regular season of 2020 with 33 touchdowns (the second highest total of his career) and 10 interceptions (his lowest total since 2014). In Sunday night’s defeat, he completed a playoff record of 47 passes for 501 yards, the second highest mark in post-season history. And while it’s clear that he can still make big numbers, he and his team’s lackluster finish will undoubtedly lead to some changes in the Steelers’ organization. The Steelers have a number of free high profile agents that include Dupree, JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner.
“It’s totally possible,” said defensive captain Cam Heyward when asked about the widespread changes in this off-season, via Joe Rutter’s Tribune-Review. “I may have gone next year. I don’t know what to expect. We are in unfamiliar territory, to say the least. Changes need to be made.”