Ben Roethlisberger was in tears during the final moments of the Steelers’ 48-37 loss to the Browns. Having lost a Super Bowl and several other big post-season games, Roethlisberger’s tears, along with him and Maurkice Pouncey, lingered well on the field after his teammates visited the locker room, leading to questions after the time about his future with the Steelers.
Roethlisberger, who spent four assists and four interceptions in Sunday night’s loss, did not say definitively whether he would play again next season. He did say he wants to be in Pittsburgh again when he plays an 18th NFL season.
“It will start between me and God,” said Roethlisberger, whose playoff record dropped to 13-9 after Sunday’s loss. “A lot of prayer. And a lot of talking to my family. I have another year left on my contract. I hope the Steelers want me back if that’s the case.”
Asked about the future of Roethlisberger and Pouncey (who will also be signed by the 2021 season), Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said the team will begin evaluating the list soon. Tomlin said he believes Roethlisberger is capable of playing at a high level when asked about the game during his press conference.
Roethlisberger enjoyed a mostly successful 2020 season. After a major elbow operation was wiped out for most of his 2019 season, Roethlisberger’s name was in the middle of the NFL’s MVP conversation after helping the Steelers win their first 11 games. Things started fizier for Big Ben and the Steelers after their hot start. Pittsburgh’s receivers dropped passes. Their running game dropped to 32nd in the league. Questions began to surface about Roethlisberger’s health. The Steelers’ defense, the best of the NFL during the first half of the season, lost their second starter – linebacker Bud Dupree – in a season-ending knee injury in Week 12. They then lost Joe Haden (who on the COVID- 19 list) before the loss of Sunday night against Haden’s former team.
Big Ben ended the 2020 season with 33 touchdowns (the second highest total of his career) and 10 interceptions (his lowest total since 2014). In Sunday night’s loss, he completed a playoff record of 47 passes for 501 yards, the second highest point in the national season. And while it’s clear he’s still able to put up big numbers, he and his team’s poor finish will no doubt lead to some changes in the Steelers’ organization. The Steelers have several notable free throws that include Dupree, JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner.
“It’s entirely possible,” defense captain Cam Heyward said when asked about wholesale changes during the off-season. via Joe Rutter of the Tribune Review. “I can be gone next year. I do not know what to expect. We are in an uncharted area, to say the least. Changes need to be made. ‘