All the talk out of the Steelers camp, and among their fan base, is about the team’s quarterback — specifically if Ben Roethlisberger will retire.
Roethlisberger will be turning 39 in just over a week, and he’s entering what used to be considered uncharted territory for signal-callers, before ageless wonders like Tom Brady and Drew Brees played into their 40s. But Big Ben is different than those two pocket-passers, using his big physical frame to keep plays alive and throw downfield — absorbing some massive hits in the process, leading to some injuries.
The Steelers got off to a great start last season, due to stellar play from the defense, but Roethlisberger’s play really tapered off in the second half, making it clear he’s on the decline. His poor play in December and January turned the NFL’s last undefeated team into a one-and-done, leading many to wonder if he’d retire. And while the Steelers appear to be pushing him in that direction, Roethlisberger remains undecided.
Well, one of his former teammates, Ike Taylor, is advising him to hang up his cleats, which he recently made clear, in speaking to TMZ Sports.
“I think 7 [Roethlisberger] should shut it down. And the reason why I think 7 should shut it down, he’s done everything he could possibly can. Whatever you’re asking for a quarterback to do, as many opportunities to win Super Bowls, I think 7 did everything he could do. If 7 wants to come back, 7’s gotta get on this Tom Brady regiment. He’s gotta really hone in in the offseason and get some of his mobility back. ‘Cause right now in the NFL you can’t just be a pocket — unless you got an offensive line, like a Tom Brady — you really can’t be a pocket quarterback, they’re becoming extinct right now. You gotta have some kind of mobility.”
We completely agree — with everything Taylor sad.
