Steelers star Cam Heyward responds to Ben Roethlisberger’s hostile comments

Ben Roethlisberger came out from the shadows this week to heap a controversial take on the NFL zeitgeist. Some fans agreed, others did not, but players from the Steelers remained mum on the subject. That is, until Cam Heyward was asked about it on Good Morning Football on Thursday. Here was his response:

"[00:00:14] Ben has an opinion. He's entitled to do that, but I don't agree. We lost these last two games. It's been rough, but the Steelers Way is about grinding it out and it doesn't matter what's going on. There's plenty to be done about it and it starts by winning games, having good defense, and scoring points. Hopefully, we can adjust to that this week. [00:00:37]"

Roethlisberger said on the footbahlin podcast this week that the Steelers tradition may be dying after the franchise fell to Bill Belichick in primetime. Here's how he put it via First Take:

"Maybe the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is done. Maybe it needs to be formed a new kind of way. ... You need someone to stand up in that room on offense and be like, 'Hey, this isn't what it means to wear the black and gold.'"

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Revisiting Ben Roethlisberger's final years

Ben Roethlisberger at Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens

Back in the quarterback's prime, Roethlisberger was known as a quintessential gunslinger.

While many in his era would minimize their deep throws, he would live and die by them. It led to some impressive stat lines throughout the years, but there also were plenty of dud games as well. Regardless, during his time in the league, the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals chased him perennially in most seasons.

Even in his later years, the quarterback had no trouble getting the ball in the air regularly. In 2018, he threw for more than 5,000 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.

However, if Ben Roethlisberger was the heart of the offense in 2018, he was the opposite in 2019. In that season, he played in just two games, suffering an injury that knocked him out for the year.

As the team trudged through the resulting Mason Rudolph campaign, many feared that would be the end of the quarterback's career.

However, Ben Roethlisberger had one last dominant run in him. In 2020, he went 12-3 in 15 games of action and threw for 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. However, at this time in his career, it was becoming a yearly question as to whether he would return the following year.

2021 was Ben Roethlisberger's final year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While he didn't look quite like his old self, he managed to salvage a playoff appearance with a 9-7 record. In his final season, he threw for 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

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If any of the above quotes are used, credit Good Morning Football, First Take, and the Footbahlin podcast.