While the Cleveland Browns celebrated a playoff victory in their locker room, the Pittsburgh Steelers silently mourned the loss on the wings.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and pivot Maurkice Pouncey, who have spent the past 11 seasons together, shared a emotional post-game moment on an empty bench.
But it was not private. NFL Films was there to capture every word for Inside the NFL.
“I’m sorry, brother,” Roethlisberger told Pouncey. “You are the only reason I wanted to do this, man … Oh, I feel worse for you than for me. I hate it, man. “
Monday brought speculation about whether Pouncey had played the last game of his career. Although nothing is official yet, Steelers defeated reporter Dale Lolley and indicates that Pouncey plans to retire.
Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh press after the game: “I love that guy. He is one of the best competitors and teammates I have ever had. It was a lot of fun to share a football field with him. I hate that it ended the way it did. I just wanted to apologize to him for wanting to win for him. “
It seems that Pouncey is already decided.