Pittsburgh Steelers need roster to rally around Ben Roethlisberger
If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to reach the playoffs again, it’ll largely be because of Ben Roethlisberger’s supporting cast.
Ben Roethlisberger is 39 years old. The Pittsburgh Steelers need to help him more now than ever before.
Last season, the Steelers started 11-0 before finishing 12-4. Then, they blown out in the AFC Wild Card round against the Cleveland Browns. Roethlisberger was increasingly asked to do more as the offensive line struggled and the running game ground to a halt. The result was an anemic offense, turnovers galore and an ugly collapse.
Want $250 to bet on NFL futures?
Heading into 2021, Pittsburgh looks a bit different after major free-agent losses. The Steelers lost guard Matt Feiler, cornerbacks Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton, edge rusher Bud Dupree, left tackle Alejandro Villanueva and others without any clear replacements. Running back Matt Conner left, but was potentially upgraded by first-round pick Najee Harris.
With a weakened secondary and an offense already in flux, the plan can’t be to rely on the once-great Roethlisberger. Instead, head coach Mike Tomlin and his staff must figure out a revamped scheme to take pressure off him while masking a poor offensive line. Tough task, but the realistic one facing them.
At OTAs on Tuesday, Roethlisberger talked about the upcoming campaign and how he’s viewing what could be his swan song, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN:
“I’m going to approach this like I do every season — like it’s my last. I think that’s the approach you have to take. And you don’t approach it that way because it could be your last, but you approach it because every single play in the game of football could be your last. Every game could be your last game. That just means I’m going out to give it everything I have.
Read: NBA MVP Favorite Nikola Jokic Intends To Play Entire Career With Nuggets
