Footballin with Ben. Is it getting to be too much?

https://www.steelernation.com/2025/08/06/steelers-ben-roethlisberger-strange-trade

Some times Ben talks to much and while his point is not a bad one his execution is not the best as clickbait artists are making some interesting leaps from it.

 

Didnt watch a single ep. of it. Have zero intention to do so. If I am to broaden my football knowledge, listening to podcasts that correlate with that agenda fits my goals.


A former player talking either gracefully or harshly about his team with some ad lib about the current state of NFL Affairs doesnt interest me; Big Ben or otherwise.

 

Sorry, I love the show. Yes, people out there use what he says for Click-Bait, because he really does tell like it is; Especially when they are watching live games.


How many other people out there would have been watching Tom Brady play, and just say out loud, that he could really tell that Tom Brady does not want to be playing anymore by how Tom was behaving on the sideline?

Yes, you will have to listen to more than one religious story during an episode, and I have to admit the Beer part is definitely growing old for me. And I love beer, but it is getting kind of ridicules.

AI breakdown
While not part of a specific tagline, football, family, and faith are prevalent themes explored in episodes.

 

I have zero problem with former players speaking their mind such as JJ Watt talking about arm chair coaching training camp and practice and not knowing what their talking about or Ryan Clark saying how immature Jerry Jones is being in contract negotiations with Parsons while Micah is the adult in the room. What gets me here is Ben talking about stuff that maybe his POV comes off as trying to get the podcast views instead of real insight. Ben talking about nagging injuries is kinda pot and teakettle and like I said solid point but poor execution.

Edit: His recent Pittsburgh will always be about Defense and solid rushing attack take was another not a bad point but poorly executed especially given the man had an 11TD nearly 1000 yards passing 2 game performance one season.

 

Note also that Defense is the reason why he has won two SBs instead of none.

 

Seems to me it's more about beer promotion and BS then anything else. Never got through an entire episode. Just like AQL listening to an ex player really is not where I get my perspective or news for that matter on the team.

 

well ben was an ego guy. sure he wants the defense and run game to carry the load. he doesn't want a good QB to outshine what he did in a season. yes i believe that about ben. i liked ben but he was too much about ben when he played. just like when playing injured and hurting the team many times, he thought even injured he was better to help the team. many of those games didn't end well.

 

I prefer a player who want to play hurt instead of the opposite....He had some injuries in 2005,2008 and 2010 when the steelers have been in the super bowl,so no true he was hurting the team!

Yes it was bad in 2011 after his ankle sprain but the steelers would not been better with a old Charlie Batch

 

Again I have to go back to how Ben is executing getting his opinion across and how it's not well. He talks about Alex being plagued by nagging injuries and maybe not performing like his contract says he should be performing and that's why there are trade rumors or cut rumors because several young guys waiting in the wings.which are all valid points but then you look at guys like Max Starks. Starks was plagued by injuries his whole career and inconsistent play and much like the point Ben is making here, the Steelers decided it was time to move on. Ben then has that famous moment where he comes out in Max's jersey because he saw it in the locker next to his and missed his guy. No real mention of the nagging injuries or up and down play just he missed his guy who was eventually resigned by the team. Bottom line Ben's opinion varies greatly between his guys and ones not his guys.

 

Ben was terrible trying to play injured against the 49ers on MNF I forgot what year it was., Tomlin should've pulled him from the game

 

As AQL said I don't have much interest in a podcast from a current or former player, I would rather listen to the professionals instead .

 

Yes he was terrible but it was still a important game for the steelers,since if they would won that game,they would likely finish the season as the first seed....I don't think Batch would win this game

 

Not only directed at you so take it personal, but I find it funny that some are ok debating with random online people and engage in endless debates with truly non-qualified people, but have dogmatic stance of not wanting to hear from ex-players.

I wonder how many "professionals" are on this forum...

 

I dont know about Batch winning or losing that game but I think a more mobile QB that day might have made a difference. Tomlin and Ben supporters have always pointed to a 75% Ben is a better chance than 100% Batch or Leftwhich but it wasn't the case that day. Ben absolutely couldn't not move. Every snap was shotgun with very little Ben magic if any. The Niner knew from the 1st series he had no mobility and they pinned their ears back and got after Ben. Tomlin would not pull him either.

 

Batch at QB beat the Ravens the year they won the Super Bowl.

Steelers went on a 3 game losing streak after that and missed the playoffs.

 

The only time that a backup QB beat the ravens in the Roethlisberger era...They were like 1-10 without Ben against the ravens in the Ben era...Major upset can happen but this is very rare for a reason.The 49ers were a very strong team that year,like 13-3 with a elite defense,almost make the super bowl that year

In 2012,the ravens were not a very good regular season team(only 10-6 with such luck in some of their wins),but in the playoffs,Flacco was just in a another level who has changed thing for them!

 

I usually will listen to it in my car on my commute have a 40 min. communte to work. If he has a guest, I really like I listen. But, maybe 50% of them I tune into.

 

I hated talking to Ben.... he was an ass.
I greatly admired his play and rank in my favorites.
If I want to be entertained, then I might watch this.
The game changes and it has changed since he played. They keys are mostly the same. And Ben does speak with a pretty good career in the books.
That said, I can't take it as any sort of gospel.
Tough to even be serious.
They actually tote a pretty good payday for this podcasts.

 

Ben on one leg could still move better than Batch, or Leftwich. Have You ever watched them on the move. Hell at close to 60, I could outrun them....backwards

 

I like the show, but I really only watch it during the season , when they don't have to make things to talk about.

 

it's usually not if a player wants to play hurt or not but their effectiveness if they do. sometimes a coach has to take them out. give 52 other guys a chance to perform. they are paid too. a few times ben shouldn't have played the game that week. it's also a chance because he can't play his normal game to be injured further by doing it. maybe even a different injury. then you have just made things a whole lot worse on the team. it is a team sport. it's not just ben either. they did that with troy a few times.

 

Ben on one leg with a different leg injury is better than those two no doubt but that game it was painful to watch. He wasn't ready, could barely move left or right and if memory serves the field conditions late in the season weren't the best. We debated this game adnasuem because going into it they had the inside track on the division, potentially at least 1 home game in the playoffs and could make some noise. Arguments made Ben was the best chance to win even at 70% but he just was limited by that injury that day against a very good defense. At a certain point you have to think when is what at stake more important than what Ben is giving you in that moment?

 

I hear what You are saying, I do, but I can't fault a player for thinking they can still help the team, nor can I fault a coach for being loyal to their players. We are all still human.

 

Personally I don’t care for his podcast. He’s had a few former players on where it’s been interesting, but overall it’s pretty meh imo

 

Except Ben was no help to the team that day and he was taking hits while the game was out of hand.