Ben Roethlisberger’s Pittsburgh Steelers are getting set to face the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night, and it’s a game Big Ben is not necessarily looking forward to. And the reason has nothing to do with his opponent.
Roethlisberger is like most players around the NFL who dislike “Thursday Night Football” because he finds it too disruptive to his recovery from the previous game.
The Steelers quarterback was asked this week about what he needs to do to get ready for a game on a short week.
“Just have as many people help as you can: chiropractors, masseuses, training staff,” Roethlisberger said. “Getting in the pools and just doing whatever you can to get yourself ready. Everyone has to do this throughout the year. I don’t think anybody really likes it except for the NFL and all the money that they make. Players, it’s tough. Obviously, the back end of it is the benefit, right? The weekend, some type off. That only really feels good if you get the win. But you’ve just got to find a way, really.”
There is a bright side to playing the Thursday game, and that is having plenty of time to recover the following week. But that may not balance out how tough it is to play on a short week in the first place. And like Roethlisberger said, players and coaches don’t really like it; just the NFL likes it because of how lucrative it is. The money the games generate is the reason why Thursday night games aren’t going anywhere.
As difficult as playing on Thursday night may seem, Roethlisberger has actually performed quite well in those games over his career.
Ben Roethlisberger career on Thursday night:
9-5 record
299-448 for 3,929 yards, 66.7 completion %
25 TD 6 INT
107.3 QB rating pic.twitter.com/y0VrEjugFU— The Fan Morning Show (@FanMorningShow) December 8, 2021
The Steelers will need Big Ben at his best. At 6-5-1, they need to keep winning to stay alive in the playoff race.
Photo: Nov 25, 2018; Denver, CO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) warms up before the game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
