Ben Roethlisberger had a memorable sendoff as quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers in his final home game of 2021, but the veteran was not necessarily feeling the love from the entire organization.
In a new post-retirement interview with Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Roethlisberger suggested that Steelers management, specifically GM Kevin Colbert, had been eager to move on from him. To Roethlisberger, owner Art Rooney II was the driving force behind bringing him back for one more year.
“It was mostly Kevin [Colbert]. He was ready to move on,” Roethlisberger said. “I think Mike [Tomlin] was a little ready to move on, but I think he was OK with me coming back. I think Mr. [Art] Rooney really wanted me to come back last year to play.”
There is some evidence to back up Roethlisberger’s argument. Colbert, who also retired after the 2021 season, was publicly lukewarm on Roethlisberger’s return prior to the campaign. This also furthers claims that Roethlisberger and the Steelers have some bad blood between them over how his career ended.
Roethlisberger sounds content in retirement. He also sounds like someone who did not feel all that wanted by those running the team in his final season.
