Ben Roethlisberger may not agree with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision to draft a quarterback in the third round, but he seems to be making an effort to be a good teammate.
Roehtlisberger said recently that he doesn’t understand why the Steelers drafted a QB so early and that he has no interest in playing the role of mentor. Despite those remarks, Mason Rudolph says he received a text from Big Ben this week wishing him luck at rookie minicamp.
#Steelers 3rd round pick, QB Mason Rudolph, says Ben Roethlisberger texted him yesterday to wish him good luck at rookie minicamp. WR James Washington, the 2nd round pick, said BR called him day after he was drafted, telling him “to be ready to work.”
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) May 11, 2018
While a very small gesture, that indicates Roehtlisberger is not planning to be a total jerk to Rudolph, who has continued to say all of the right things since the Steelers selected him.
Last week, Ben Roethlisberger said of Mason Rudolph pick “maybe in the 3rd round, you know, you can get some really good football players that can help this team win now.”
Today, Rudolph gave perf answer when asked if he has to justify his selection. In a nutshell: No. #Steelers— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) May 11, 2018
For someone who has openly contemplated retirement in recent years, Roethlisberger has seemed awfully offended that the Steelers are planning for the future. You can understand him not wanting to teach Rudolph how to take his job, but there’s a middle ground between “leave me alone” and “here’s everything I know and how I came to know it.”
