Aqib Talib has a lot of opinions, but this one might not be unfounded.
The Denver Broncos cornerback wasn’t shy about letting people know he thought Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was faking the shoulder injury he sustained against the Cincinnati Bengals during Wild Card Weekend.
Roethlisberger reportedly played through a sprained AC joint and possibly some torn ligaments in his right throwing shoulder in Sunday’s 23-16 AFC Divisional Playoff loss to the Broncos.
For what it’s worth, there’s a groundswell of support for Talib’s opinion. Former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick agreed with Talib, calling Roethlisberger a “drama queen” last week.
Teammate Von Miller agreed.
“No, he didn’t (look hurt),” the Broncos linebacker said, via ESPN. “But like I said, like I said, I read through the bluff … I read through the bluff.”
Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak alluded to the same thing, telling reporters “We had kind of talked about it and probably said, knowing Ben … you knew he’d be ready to go.”
Roethlisberger completed 24 of 37 passes for 339 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin might have sold Roethlisberger out, too.
“He was fine,” Tomlin said. “We didn’t really talk about it once the game got started.”
Then again, that could just be a coach not making excuses after a loss.
Thumbnail photo via Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports Images
