"It’s not branded in their chest" - Ben Roethlisberger blasts Steelers for replacing loyal vets with 'one-year guys' in culture shakeup

Ben Roethlisberger is a Pittsburgh Steelers legend. Having spent 18 seasons with the franchise, he knows a thing or two about what loyalty is. However, in recent times, the team has moved away from loyal veterans to bring in players on short-term deals. This is something Roethlisberger is not a fan of.

This year, the team let go of stars like Najee Harris, George Pickens, Minkah Fitzpatrick and others. Roethlisberger said on Tuesday that replacing loyals vets with short-term players is shaking the Steelers' culture up.

"It feels like you're losing a lot of the Steelers cultural guys that are there, that know what it is, and bringing in the guys that are one-year guys in here, maybe two-year guys," Roethlisberger said, via the "Footbahlin" podcast. "They know about the Steelers logo, but they don't really know it. It's not branded in thjeir chest; It's not Yellowstone in their chest.

"When you're losing a leader like Minkah, a guy that is just a worker, doesn't talk a lot, but works. When I was there id this would've happned, there would be some upset dudes in that locker room. I'd assume it's still the same way."

Ben Roethlisberger believes Will Howard should be Aaron Rodgers' backup next season

The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering the 2025 season with a stacked quarterback room. They signed NFL veteran Aaron Rodgers this offseason, and have Mason Rudolph on the roster. The franchise also selected Will Howard in the sixth-round of April's draft.

Many assume that Howard will be the QB3; however, Ben Roethlisberger believes that the rookie deserves the QB2 spot.

"I would split time with Mason and Will in the preseason," Roethlisberger said on Tuesday, via the "Footbahlin" podcast. "I think they'd be playing for the backup job. Whoever is the better one here is my two. So that would be the smartest move to do in the preseason, to give those guys, let them bettle for the No. 2 spot."

It'll be interesting to see how far the Steelers would go in the upcoming season.