Steelers Now
Ben Roethlisberger has long considered himself a Pittsburgh Steelers standard-bearer. He lined up behind center for the franchise for 18 seasons, bringing it a pair of Super Bowl titles. However, he hasn’t played since 2021, and Mike Tomlin’s team has undergone almost complete turnover.
Since last season, the Steelers have lost their leading passer (Russell Wilson), rusher (Najee Harris), and receiver (George Pickens). General manager Omar Khan has replaced Wilson with veteran Aaron Rodgers and Pickens with trade import DK Metcalf. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey joined the team via last month’s Minkah Fitzpatrick swap.
“It feels like you’re losing a lot of the Steeler cultural guys that are in there, that know what it is,” Roethlisberger said last week on his podcast “Footbahlin.” “And you’re bringing guys in that are one-year guys in here — maybe two-year guys — that they know about the Steeler logo, but they don’t really know it. It’s not branded in their chest. … But that’s gonna be up for the guys in the locker room to help with that.”
Eleven players on the Steelers’ roster were part of the team during Roethlisberger’s final campaign. One of them, 15th-year defensive tackle Cam Heyward, has been a team captain for each of the past 10 seasons. Heyward, 36, is also Pittsburgh’s longest-tenured player.
Roethlisberger also considered the effect that a move such as trading Fitzpatrick, another now-former leader, might have on the team’s morale.
“I haven’t been in the locker room for a few years now, so I don’t know how things have culturally changed in that locker room in terms of what’s the locker room thinking now,” Roethlisberger said. “When you’re losing a leader like Minkah, a guy that is just a worker — doesn’t talk a lot, but he works. When I was there, if this would’ve happened, a couple years ago, there would be some upset dudes in that locker room. I’d assume it’s still the same way.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Ben Roethlisberger Considers Steelers’ Culture Shift
