Steelers veteran Ramon Foster says team is ‘closer than we have ever been’

The Steelers will have a much different look in 2019 now that they have parted ways with two of their most important offensive players, but those who remain with the team continue to insist the culture in Pittsburgh is better than it has been in years.

Offensive lineman Ramon Foster, who is entering his 11th season with the Steelers, told reporters on Tuesday that this is the best he has ever seen the team’s chemistry.

“I feel like we are closer now than we ever have been,” Foster said, via Chris Adamski of The Tribune-Review.

As Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell have continued to take shots at their former team throughout the offseason, Foster’s thoughts are another example of the theme coming out of Pittsburgh. Both Brown and Bell were seen as having caused major distractions for the Steelers over the past year or two, and it seems like Foster and others believe the team is better off without them.

“I’ve said it time and time before just talking to guys this offseason – I don’t think I have talked to more guys on the other side of the ball than I have in my entire career,” Foster added. “And that’s a really good thing. That means communication is there, understanding and there are guys who are genuinely caring about each other. And that’s a good thing.”

The remarks from Foster came on the heels of Ben Roethlisberger publicly apologizing for some of the issues he had with Brown last season, but a cryptic tweet from Brown indicated he did not accept the apology. Bell, of course, sat out the entire 2018 season because of a contract dispute.

Mike Tomlin was even more candid earlier in the offseason when discussing the way the Steelers’ culture has changed, and time will tell if that translates to better results on the field. Either way, there should be a lot less drama in Pittsburgh heading into and during the season.