Ben Roethlisberger was one of the best things that ever happened to the Steelers, and viceversa. For little less than two decades, Pittsburgh didn't have to worry about the quarterback position.
With a fantastic résumé that speaks by itself - two Super Bowl rings, more than 90,000 passing yards, and nearly 420 touchdowns - Big Ben did more than enough to win recognition as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
However, Father Time catches up to all of us, and he wasn't the exception. Roethlisberger called it a career last season, ending one of the most beautiful stories in Steelers' history. But only a few months later, there are rumors about a possible "bad blood" between them.
Has Ben Roethlisberger retired from the NFL on bad terms with the Steelers?
(Via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk)
"Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was this question during a Wednesday chat: “Is there bad blood between the Steelers and Big Ben with how his career ended. Was he ready to retire or was it a Troy [Polamalu] type situation where he was forced into it?”
Said Dulac: “I would say it’s very very safe to assume that.”
Florio added that the Steelers were understood to be prepared to move on him even before the 2021 season, with a belief that they offered Big Ben a deal lucrative enough to not disrespect him but also "low enough to keep him from taking it."
It's strange why this comes months after his retirement, which seemed to be in really good terms until now. If the rumor is true, then it would be a shame. Big Ben was great for the Steelers, and Pittsburgh was the perfect place for him to cement a legacy. There should never be "bad blood" between them.
