Ben Roethlisberger on Mike Tomlin, Steelers’ Struggles: Maybe the Tradition Is ‘Done’

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger isn’t used to seeing the Black and Gold struggle, and he’s not happy with the current state of the franchise following its loss to the New England Patriots on Thursday.

“Maybe the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is done,” Roethlisberger said on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, per ESPN.

The Patriots have been one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, having already been eliminated from playoff contention with a 3-10 record.

However, Bill Belichick’s squad walked into Acrisure Stadium and came out with a 21-18 victory thanks to an abysmal performance from Steelers quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the defense.

Trubisky threw for just 190 yards, one touchdown and one interception and the defense allowed backup quarterback Bailey Zappe to throw for 240 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

The Steelers nearly made a comeback with an eight-point fourth quarter, but the team didn’t have all of its timeouts, having to use them earlier in the game to get organized. Not having those timeouts proved to be costly as Pittsburgh fell short.

“Who is grabbing someone by the face mask and saying, ‘That’s not what we do,'” Roethlisberger added. “Is that happening? Yes, you have guys on defense doing it, but you need guys on other sides of the ball doing it. … You need someone to stand up in that room, on offense, and be like, hey, this isn’t what it means to wear the black and gold.

“This isn’t what has been handed down from those teams of the ’70s. The Steel Curtain, the four Super Bowls, the Nolls, the Bradshaws, the Blounts. All those people, it’s unbelievable.”

Roethlisberger spent his entire career with the Steelers between 2004 and 2021, never posting a losing season. He led the franchise to eight AFC North titles, five AFC championship games and two Super Bowl titles.

Since the 41-year-old retired after the 2021 season, the Steelers are 16-14. They failed to clinch a playoff berth last season, though they are currently holding the AFC’s No. 6 seed with a 7-6 record.

If the Black and Gold want to secure a playoff spot, they’ll have to finish the season on a high note with the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills all holding 7-6 records.

Pittsburgh closes out the regular season with some huge matchups against the Colts, Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens. It’ll be a huge test for the franchise, especially with Kenny Pickett on the shelf still recovering from ankle surgery.

If the Steelers miss out on the playoffs again, Roethlisberger might have some more harsh words for the franchise in the near future.