Rivals expect Ben’s return
mean they were necessarily convinced.
And while nobody connected with the Steelers believes Roethlisberger was serious when he made the comment after the AFC Championship game loss to the New England Patriots, it will remain a topic of conversation until Roethlisberger tells everyone he will return.
“I never took it seriously,” said Harbaugh, who, like Roethlisberger, attended Miami University of Ohio. “Put it this way, as we’re preparing for the Steelers right now, we’re preparing for No.7. I can promise you that. I love Ben. He’s a Miami grad. We talk a lot about Miami, our school.”
Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis would probably like nothing more than to see Roethlisberger step away from the game, if only for selfish reasons. He is 7-19 against him, including 0-2 in the postseason. The only team that has lost more games to Roethlisberger is the Cleveland Browns (21). Lewis, a McDonald native, said he was surprised when he heard of his comments.
“Yeah I was, just because I thought he played very, very well last year,” Lewis said. “I had the opportunity to see him over the summer last year and he had kind of changed his diet and how he was eating and doing things in preparation [for the season]. I was really impressed with his year physically.”
Tennessee Titans coach Mike Mularkey left the Steelers as offensive coordinator in 2003 — one year before Roethlisberger arrived — to become coach of the Buffalo Bills. Mularkey said he was not surprised when he heard Roethlisberger’s comments about retiring.
“A lot of players when season ends, especially when you get up there in years, your body is tired, you’re wondering if you had enough,” Mularkey said. “I think it goes through a lot of people’s minds. He’s no different. As time goes on in the offseason and you start to feel better, your thought process changes a little. It doesn’t surprise me. I think a lot of guys have that thought when the season is over.”
But when do the Steelers start thinking about finding Roethlisberger’s heir apparent? Coach Mike Tomlin talked about doing “dry runs” in mock drafts where the Steelers consider what quarterbacks could be available to them and would they think enough to draft them. Two of the quarterbacks on their radar are Davis Webb of California (65, 229), who could go as high as the second round; and C.J. Beathard of Iowa, who is more of a mid-round pick.
It can be a touchy situation, Lewis said.
“Because you don’t know when a player is going to call it quits, particularly the way players are playing these days. Guys who are taking care of themselves are playing longer. The way they eat, the way they take care of their bodies, a lot of things have changed. It’s a tough thing to time out.”
Arizona Cardinals coach and former Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who knows Roethlisberger better than any other NFL coach, was asked about his former pupil at Wednesday’s NFC coaches breakfast at the Arizona Biltmore and whether he will return.
“I think so, just a hunch,” Arians said.
Asked if he would like to coach Roethlisberger again, Arians said, “I’d love to. I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. I ain’t going back to Pittsburgh and he ain’t leaving.”