The Steelers Are Happy To Let Ben Roethlisberger Feel As Important As He Thinks He Is

The Steelers gleaned no lessons from the Le’Veon Bell fiasco, huh? Not only are they happy to let their relationship with receiver Antonio Brown wither away, but the front office has made sure to emphasize that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is the only player above reproach. Take note, upcoming free agents.

As Brown aired his grievances with Pittsburgh last weekend, he called out Roethlisberger for having a lack of respect for other players, and holding an “owner mentality.” On Wednesday, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert sided with the QB, and in the process infantilized the rest of the players on the team. Roethlisberger has “52 kids”? Really?

Just because Roethlisberger’s old doesn’t mean he’s fit to be a leader, and he doesn’t know how to lead. Also, being accused of sexual assault twice should be a disqualification. Surely there must be other veteran players on the team who could handle this responsibility. ( Maybe not these guys, though.)

Colbert’s comments yesterday make clear that the Steelers will continue to facilitate Big Ben until he retires or is severely injured. Brown is grouchy for a bunch of reasons, but you could see why he’d be grouchy about that work situation. There’s no reason any player on offense should sign with Pittsburgh this offseason as long as Roethlisberger is in charge. As the team sees it, even when he’s wrong, he’s right.