Lauren Kirschman | lkirschman@pennlive.com
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made his final appearance of the season on his radio show on Tuesday. Among other things, he confirmed his plan to return to the Steelers next season and discussed his relationship with Todd Haley.
Here is a collection of Roethlisberger's most interesting quotes from the conversation:
On coming back next season
Barry Reeger
“I’m just playing it one year at a time. During the season I take it one game at a time and one season at a time. I’m excited to come back next year. I know Ed said that he’d heard from guys something about me playing another three years. I’m not going to look past one year. I’m going to look forward to next year and give it everything I have because I’m really excited about what we have here. I’m excited about the players. Obviously excited about my linemen all coming back. They help keep me healthy. And so, I’m just really excited about the potential that we have and how close we’ve been and just how I think moving forward we’ve got a good chance. So I’m excited for one year and that’s next year.”
“Well, I think the way my body feels. I think just lots of prayer and lots of talk with my family, knowing that all my linemen are coming back. Really just feeling the excitement we have with this group and with everybody that’s involved. It just felt like it’s the right thing to do. And obviously there’s always outside circumstances and things that could come up that are unpreventable. As far as my mindset and body, I’m ready to go.”
On his relationship with Todd Haley
Barry Reeger
“I don’t have any control over the coaching staff, who’s hired and fired and obviously that was very apparent a few years ago when BA was gone. We had a great relationship and he was still let go. That’s up to the coaches and Mr. Rooney and that’s fine. I go play football and I play for whoever I need to play for coach wise."
“I think that the important thing is, like I said, we’ve got a really good group here. That includes coaches and players. I think we’ve had a special group. And the least amount of change, the better. That’s from players to coaches to everything. We don’t want to have big changes because we’re right there. We’re on the cusp. And we feel that we’ve got some great things going for us and that’s what we’re excited about. I’m excited. It’s the reason I’m coming back.”
“I talked to Coach Haley yesterday. We talked in his office, just him and I, and … we sat down for a while and talked and laughed about the season and just how proud we both were of how far we came as an offense. You look early in the season and we were a middle-of-the-road to bottom-half-of-the-road team, offensively speaking. And just to be able to come out as a top three or five offense, and all the games and all the things that we were able to accomplish this year, just how proud we both were of everything that was accomplished by this offense. And just really kind of excited about what we have potentially moving forward.”
“Absolutely. I don’t think it was as big of a deal as the outside world made it, as the media made it or whatever was perceived to be, if you will. You’re always going to have rifts, if you will. That’s player-to-player. That’s player-to-coaches. It’s not just Coach Haley and I, or Coach Randy [Fichtner], Coach [Mike] Munchak. There’s always issues in a competitive field like we have where everyone’s trying to win and trying to be the best they can be. You might butt heads at times. It doesn’t mean that you have any problem, any personal problem. We laughed about that yesterday, too. When things were perceived that we had all these issues. And there were times that maybe there was an issue, but we would go into his office and we’d talk and we would work out and we’d iron it out and everything was fine. That happens with lots of coaches. That happened with me and [Bruce Arians]. That happened with [Ken Whisenhunt] and myself. It’s not a new thing. I think it just is perceived than a bigger deal than it really was.”
On social media, teammates motivating the Jaguars, etc.
Barry Reeger
“I don’t know. I think if you need motivation like that, billboard material in the playoffs. I think winning the game and trying to get to the AFC Championship game is motivation enough. But each team and each individual takes motivation differently. For me … I’m always in the moment and trying to play that team. It’s a very good defense we had to play. I thought offensively we did a pretty good job. You know I can only speak about the offense. We put up a lot of points and a lot of yards against a really talented group.”
"I wish guys wouldn’t do it. That’s one of the reasons I don’t do social media. People get on me about why don’t I do it … that’s one of the reasons. It’s unnecessary. It’s uncalled it. I don’t think you need to do it. But to each guy their own. That’s the country we live in and that’s the beauty of it. We have the freedom of the speech and we have the ability to do and say what we want. Each guy is entitled to do it. I wish guys wouldn’t do it. But they’re allowed to do it.”
On the quarterback sneak
Barry Reeger
“I truly have never said I don’t want to run it. I don’t have the freedom to check to a quarterback sneak because we don’t have that call if we’re not in the huddle. Obviously we’re in the huddle, we can call a quarterback sneak and you do it. If you’re at the line of scrimmage, we don’t have a call to get to a quarterback sneak. … Am I supposed to whisper to everybody, ‘Hey, quarterback sneak, quarterback sneak?’ If you don’t have the call, you can’t do it.”
“I’ve actually asked Coach Tomlin when we get to the 2-yard line, two-point play, to spread the defense out, go empty and run quarterback draw. I’ve asked for that and he laughs at me and says, ‘Ben, maybe in your younger days, not now.’ I still ask for those things. I would love to quarterback sneak. … We can call it in the huddle, but there’s no way for me to audible to it without telling guys [whispering] ‘Hey, quarterback sneak. Like, I hope the defensive line didn’t hear us.’"
“Ultimately, I believe the head coach’s decision because, and whether it’s through injury — I’m not really sure what it is, to tell you the truth. I’m not criticizing Coach for any of it. But I know that, like I said, I’ve learned to ask for quarterback draws. I’ll run the ball. I don’t care. I’m a big guy. I’ll take a hit every once in a while. The quarterback sneak, I have. I’ve asked for it. I’ve said, ‘Let’s do it.’ If it’s what’s best for this team and we need to get 6 inches, a yard, 2 yards, I don’t care. I’d be willing to do it. I also don’t know if there’s some risk of me falling, when you’re giving that push and there’s a lot of kind of violence, if you will, under there, are linemen at risk? Is your center at risk of landing on his legs? Maybe that’s part of it, too. I honestly, Andrew, don’t know. And I’m not saying that in the sense that I’m criticizing Coach for not doing it, but I’m here to say and let everybody know, you guys included, that I have asked for it. I’m fine with it. If they want to call it, I am all for it. I do not say, ‘No no no.’”
On 4th and inches plays
Barry Reeger
“There’s scouting reports. We go through things. You trust the calls that come in because you trust the preparation the coaches put in and that we’re going to get the best play possible. They were jamming the middle of the line expecting us to run that kind of tight run we have to Le’Veon so the toss-sweep looked like it was the best play. Those guys get paid to and the guy made a stop. They stopped us on the first one. The second one … I went to the sideline and we talked and that plat was called. AB was taking off and Eli was running a short, shallow cross. We’re going to fake the inside run, hopefully they’ll bite on that. They covered Eli and have JuJu come to the next window. When I threw it, the defender actually grabbed JuJu’s jersey and gave him a little slingshot, you know, pulled himself around JuJu. JuJu got his hands on it. Would’ve been a remarkable catch. But I actually asked the official after that play because from my angle standing directly behind the play, I got to see him grab his jersey pretty good. And he said, ‘I saw him grab his jersey but I didn’t think it was enough.’” Basically telling me that JuJu’s at fault because he’s a big, strong receiver running through a guy pulling his jersey, which is unfortunate.”
On whether Le'Veon Bell will be back
Barry Reeger
"I’m fully confident that the Steelrs are going to try. Ultimately it’s obviously up to Le’Veon and his angents and the people that represent him and what he ultimately wants to do for his family. They can offer a very sweet deal and he doesn’t feel like it’s sufficient or good enough for him then he doesn’t have to take it. I don’t what’s going to happen. I know there’s still some negotiating. I know there’s franchise tags and I know what he said. I hope he’s back. Obviously, he’s a huge asset to us. He’s All-Pro. He’s one of the best in the business. … So, hopefully he’s back. But only he really knows that."
More Steelers links
Barry Reeger
- Roosevelt Nix plans to remain with Steelers
- Steelers re-sign TE Xavier Grimble, others
- Steelers coaching staff to lead 2018 AFC Pro Bowl team
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