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Ben Roethlisberger was in tears in the closing moments of the Steelers’ 48-37 playoff loss to the Browns. Considering he’s lost a Super Bowl and several other big postseason games, Roethlisberger’s tears, with him and Maurkice Pouncey lingering on the pitch long after his teammates made their way to the locker room, drove to post-game questions about his future with the Steelers.
Roethlisberger, who threw four touchdowns and four interceptions in Sunday night’s loss, hasn’t said definitively whether or not he’ll play again next season. He said he wanted to be back in Pittsburgh if he played an 18th season in the NFL.
“It’s going to start between me and God,” said Roethlisberger, whose playoff record dropped to 13-9 after Sunday’s loss. “Lots of prayers. And lots of talking with my family. I still have a year left on my contract. I hope the Steelers want me back if this is the way to go.”
Asked about the future of Roethlisberger and Pouncey (who is also signed for the 2021 season), Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said the team will begin the roster assessment process soon. Tomlin said he believes Roethlisberger is capable of playing at a high level when asked during his post-match press conference.
Roethlisberger has had a very successful 2020 season. After major elbow surgery wiped out most of his 2019 season, Roethlisberger’s name was in the middle of the NFL MVP conversation after helping the Steelers win their first 11 games. Things started to sparkle for Big Ben and the Steelers after their hot start. The Pittsburgh receivers started losing assists. Their running game fell to 32nd place in the league. Questions began to arise regarding Roethlisberger’s health. The Steelers defense, the NFL’s best in the first half of the season, lost their second starter – linebacker Bud Dupree – to a late-season knee injury in Week 12. They then went on to lost Joe Haden (who was on COVID-19) ahead of Sunday night’s loss to former Haden team.
Big Ben finished the 2020 regular season with 33 touchdowns (the second-highest of his career) and 10 interceptions (his lowest total since 2014). In Sunday night’s loss, he completed a playoff record 47 passes for 501 yards, the second highest mark in playoff history. And while it’s clear he can still make big numbers, the lackluster finish of him and his team will undoubtedly lead to changes within the Steelers’ organization. The Steelers have several high profile free agents, including Dupree, JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner.
“It’s very possible,” said defensive captain Cam Heyward, when asked about the big changes during the offseason. via Joe Rutter from Tribune review. “I might be gone next year. I don’t know what to expect. We’re in uncharted territory to say the least. Changes need to be made.”
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