Ben Roethlisberger might be past his prime, but his love for football hasn’t wavered.
Roethlisberger’s commitment to the game was called into question following his abysmal five-interception performance in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 30-9 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. Big Ben was hard on himself after the game, saying “maybe I don’t have it anymore.”
The Steelers quarterback knows he isn’t playing at the level he’s capable of, but he also doesn’t really care about any sports pundit’s opinion of his play. Here are Roethlisberger’s comments on the issue, courtesy of ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Ben Roethlisberger; "I think you guys are much more panicked than we are." How he got to point of confidence after Sunday: “Two Super Bowls, 100 some wins, 300-some, I don’t even know my own stats. I’ve been playing this game longer than you’ve probably been covering it.”
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 11, 2017
Roethlisberger on questions surrounding his 'maybe I don't have it anymore': 'That's fine. They can question me. I don't question myself…No offense to any of you guys, but it doesn't matter to me how you guys question me or not or quote-on-quote professional talking heads."
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 11, 2017
The Steelers are off to an uncharacteristically slow start to the season, and Roethlisberger’s struggles are a big reason why. Pittsburgh currently sits at 3-2, but its offense largely has been out of sync. If the Steelers have any hopes of earning AFC North supremacy this season, they’ll need Roethlisberger to sharpen up his game.
Thumbnail photo via Philip G. Pavely/USA TODAY Sports Images
