Home News Why Ben Roethlisberger reportedly has ‘bad blood’ with Steelers following retirement

Why Ben Roethlisberger reportedly has ‘bad blood’ with Steelers following retirement

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All 18 of Ben Roethlisberger’s NFL seasons were spent with the Steelers. According to a recent story, he might not be pleased with how his last campaign ended.

The question of whether there was “bad blood” between the future Hall of Fame quarterback and the team with which he spent his career was posed to Pittsburgh Article-Gazette reporter Gerry Dulac in a Q&A post.

Dulac responded, “I would think it’s very, very safe to presume that.”

Why Ben Roethlisberger reportedly has ‘bad blood’ with Steelers following retirement

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk elaborated on that, pointing out that while it is a shocking claim, it might be true. According to Florio, some people thought the Steelers wanted to let Roethlisberger go before the 2021 season and instead offered him a less lucrative contract to avoid offending him, but it was too low for him to accept. Roethlisberger reportedly accepted a deal for $5 million less than what he had been expecting to earn, according to Florio.

Nobody can condemn the Steelers for believing that Ben Roethlisberger’s career was in decline. He had thrown for 30 touchdowns in the 2020 season, but his arm strength was dwindling and his mobility was all but gone.

He completed 64.5 percent of his throws for 22 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and 3,740 passing yards in his final season with the Steelers.
He received the lowest passing grade (52.8) among quarterbacks who qualified from Pro Football Focus. The Steelers made it to the playoffs but lost to the Chiefs 42-21 to be ousted in the first round.

Roethlisberger praised the Rooney and Tull families, who own the Steelers, as well as his coaches over the years when he announced his retirement in a video earlier in 2022.

“To the Rooney family, the Tull family, Coach Bill Cowher, Coach Mike Tomlin, and all the coaches who have invested in me, the amazing individuals who make the Pittsburgh Steelers a great organisation.

Thank you for having faith in me and letting me compete against you for excellence, Roethlisberger added. “To all of my teammates and the countless friends I have made, thank you for your dedication to upholding the Black and Gold’s tradition of wearing it with honour and dignity.

One of the greatest thrills of my life will always be putting that jersey on every Sunday with my brothers.

“To the best sports fans in the world, Steeler Nation, I want to express my gratitude for having accepted and supported me as your quarterback over the years.

I am grateful to God for letting me play football, for encircling me with wonderful people, and for guarding me to the very end with love and honour.

Of course, it is unlikely that Roethlisberger would share his issues with the team in a retirement video.

The Steelers are already preparing for their first campaign without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger since 2003.

In order to prepare for life without Big Ben, Pittsburgh signed former Bills backup Mitchell Trubisky and selected Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

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