Jay Glazer Explains Ben Roethlisberger ‘Fitness’ Comment After Backlash

Jay Glazer seemed to fire a shot at Ben Roethlisberger in last week’s mailbag for The Athletic by calling out the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback’s conditioning.

“There is no fitness in Ben Roethlisberger,” Glazer wrote. “His idea of a great off-season workout program is doing one yoga session, playing golf, and drinking some beer.”

The NFL insider faced intense backlash on social media, with some suggesting his remark was in reference to how the veteran QB is approaching his rehab from elbow surgery.

So, Glazer explained himself in this week’s mailbag, clarifying the “fitness” comment was in jest and that Roethlisberger is working hard toward returning to the gridiron.

Here’s what Glazer wrote Tuesday:

Now, as far as Roethlisberger, I called Ben, I talked to him about it as a man because if I think someone is going to be upset about something that I said I’m going to call him. My statement about Ben got pulled way out of whack as if I was talking about his current rehab. Where did I say anything about his current rehab? I never did. What I wrote was: “His idea of a great off-season workout program is doing one yoga session, playing golf, and drinking some beer.” I was making fun of him for his past workouts, which he’d readily admitted had been him in the past. In fact, when I called him I said, “Yes, this is your yoga, golf and beer instructor calling” because he and I often bust each other’s balls.

Is he a Hall of Famer? Absolutely, 100%, no doubt about it. Is he Jack LaLanne? No.

Glazer added that him and Big Ben “bust each other’s chops a lot” and that Roethlisberger was appreciative of his follow-up phone call. So, perhaps we should just sweep this under the rug as much ado about nothing.

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