Before the Pittsburgh Steelers won a 20-19 thriller over the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday at Heinz Field, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has told former teammates and members of the franchise that 2021 will be his final year. A not-so stunning development.
When asked about the report following the game, Roethlisberger deflected it, telling reporters that he hasn't told anybody about his future and will address those conversations during the offseason. Whether or not Roethlisberger was being honest, former NFL linebacker Brady Poppinga believes that Pittsburgh leaked the information to Schefter.
"They're basically leaking that, so everybody from the players to organization realizes, because it's probably true, 'Hey, let's go out, give it our best shot," Poppinga told the Reiter Than You show on Thursday. "'Let's take it, this guy's only going to be here this last run, then we don't know.' Talk about uncertainty of the future at the quarterback position. I mean, that's really uncertain.
"They have nobody. Nothing going on there. It's not like they could trade Ben Roethlisberger in the offseason for anything. Nobody would take him. So, I do believe that shifted the mindset of the team to say, 'Okay, we've got to get our stuff together and let's make a run.' I like the Steelers. I believe their defense and overall team is getting tougher. They're tightening down..."
Roethlisberger's 18th season as the Steelers' starting quarterback hasn't been too enjoyable. For three months, he's battled a slew of injuries, and his lack of mobility in the pocket -- coupled with lousy protection from the offensive line -- is detrimental to a championship-hopeful team. They can take solace in the fact that Roethlisberger stepped up his game against Baltimore, completing 21 of 31 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns and a 111.8 passer rating.
Pittsburgh (6-5-1), which currently sits in third place in a tight AFC North race, will visit the Minnesota Vikings (5-7) in a Week 14 matchup on Thursday night. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Steelers have just an 18-percent chance to reach the playoffs and a 6-percent chance to win the division.
The entire NFL conversation between Poppinga and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.