The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t had much to laugh about this season, but at least Ben Roethlisberger still has his sense of humor.
After speculation broke last week that Big Ben would explore a trade this offseason because he was unhappy with the direction of the team, the Pro Bowl quarterback went out and enjoyed his best game of the season on Sunday. Roethlisberger, who denied ever even considering a trade to another team, made light of the rumor after the Steelers’ 37-27 win over the Lions on Sunday.
“Maybe I made myself more tradeable,” Roethlisberger joked, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Roethlisberger threw for 367 yards and four touchdowns on Sunday, leading the Steelers back from a seven-point deficit at halftime to reclaim the lead and keep them in the playoff race for at least one more week. The quarterback is rightfully frustrated by the Steelers’ 4-6 start, especially after missing the playoffs last season. He continues to deny any truth to trade rumors, though, which is why he also hasn’t addressed the reports with any of his teammates.
“Someone asked me during the week if I felt the need to say something to my teammates,” Roethlisberger said. “I really didn’t. I didn’t think it was worth talking about. They know how I feel about them and this team. They know I don’t want to go anywhere. A lot of guys came up to me and said, ‘Ben, don’t worry about it. It’s ridiculous. Just play your game.'”
While the Steelers continue to toil in mediocrity as a whole, Roethlisberger is actually in the middle of one of his most productive seasons as a pro. The 31-year-old is completing almost 65 percent of his passes, has thrown 17 touchdowns through 10 games and is on pace to throw for a career-high 4,642 yards. Those numbers, as well as his two Super Bowl rings, would certainly be appealing to many other teams around the league. Although, it sounds like Big Ben isn’t headed anywhere anytime soon.
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