Ben Roethlisberger played like a hobbled quarterback at the end of last year on his literal last legs. An extended NFL season is the worst thing imaginable for him. But that's the reality he's now facing.
Players around the league are grousing about the 17-game schedule, which the owners approved Tuesday. For years, the NFL has sought to lengthen its regular season calendar, even baking the measure into the last round of CBA negotiations. In exchange for 17 games, players now receive 48 percent of league revenue. Saints running back Alvin Kamara put his feelings bluntly.
But it's hard to imagine a star player less equipped for an additional game than a 39-year-old Roethlisberger. The six-time Pro Bowler fell apart at the end of last season, throwing five interceptions and posting a pedestrian 81.9 QB rating. Once defenses started stopping Pittsburgh's short passing game, Roethlisberger struggled to move the ball. He can no longer throw it downfield effectively.
Making matters worse, there are renewed questions about Roethlisberger's conditioning. Recently, NFL Insider Peter King said he would instruct Roethlisberger to come into camp lighter. "If Ben Roethlisberger really rededicates himself and comes back to training camp in great shape — or better shape than he was in last December — I'll change my thinking on this," King said on ProFootballTalk Live. "But when you see what's going on in football today and how fast football has become, and you see Ben Roethlisberger's inability to get out of the way, and — not exclusively — but because he's so heavy, or he was so heavy last year, that to me is part of this thing."
Last spring, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert brushed away questions about Roethlisberger's conditioning. It's fair to wonder whether he feels differently now.
Regardless of his weight, the numbers indicate Roethlisberger moves around well in the pocket, as he was only sacked 13 times last season. But then again, it took Roethlisberger an average of 2.17 seconds to throw the ball. The sack number is deceiving.
In addition to Roethlisberger's weight, there are even more pressing concerns about his knees. He was reportedly dealing with "significant" knee pain last December, which he steadfastly denied. Roethlisberger underwent elbow surgery in 2019, missing all but 14 games.
Even before the 17-game season was finalized, the Steelers were asking Roethlisberger to do more, given all the pieces they've lost on defense. Veterans Bud Dupree, Mike Hilton, Vince Williams and Steven Nelson are no longer in the Steel City. Pittsburgh can no longer expect to boast a top three defense.
That means they'll probably have to win games in the 30s, a rare occurrence last year. The Steelers only crossed the 30-point threshold on two occasions — and never after Oct. 18.
We saw last year how grueling it appeared for Roethlisberger to step onto the field in late November and December. Despite not missing games, he seemed to be breaking down.
And now, he'll be expected to take another week of hits, and that's before we even talk about the playoffs.
The bottom line is, Roethlisberger was not at full strength when the Steelers needed him most in 2020. An extra game doesn't promise to be helpful. This is a recipe for disaster.
