It sounds like we can count Ben Roethlisberger among those who don’t want to see Tom Brady miss any time to begin the 2015 NFL season.
Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers will open the season in Foxboro in the New England Patriots’ first game of their Super Bowl title defense. As it stands right now, the Patriots will be without Brady after he was suspended four games for his alleged role in Deflategate.
Brady is appealing the decision, and he’s holding out hope he’ll be under center for the Patriots in Week 1. It sounds like Roethlisberger wouldn’t mind seeing Brady across the Gillette Stadium field, either.
“He’s a guy, I’ve said for a long time, he’s the best in the business, and he proved it again last year winning his fourth,” Roethlisberger told reporters Tuesday at Steelers OTAs, per ESPN.com. “If he’s not out there, it’s not the same. I have a lot of respect for him on the football field and some of the unbelievable things that he’s done. I guess we’ll wait and see what’s finally going to happen.”
Roethlisberger has some experience in dealing with the league, commissioner Roger Goodell and the appeals process. Roethlisberger was suspended six games in 2010 for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, but that suspension was reduced to four games after the quarterback met with Goodell.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
