Ben Roethlisberger attempts to set the record straight regarding his relationship with Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph
For years now, there has been a narrative that Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph didn't get along. Ben even helped build said narrative, when he mentioned that he thought the team could have used a player other than QB in the third round of the 2018 draft, when they drafted Rudolph. But he wanted to […]
For years now, there has been a narrative that Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph didn't get along.
Ben even helped build said narrative, when he mentioned that he thought the team could have used a player other than QB in the third round of the 2018 draft, when they drafted Rudolph.
But he wanted to make something clear on Tuesday, while also explaining what the dynamic inside a QB room is like…
Ben Roethlisbereger has no issue with Mason Rudolph
“When they drafted Mason, I made comments about, and I don’t even remember my comments. But it was like, why did we draft Mason? It wasn’t a shot at Mason, Roethlisbeger said on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger via SD. "I didn’t have a problem with Mason. They could have drafted Patrick Mahomes, whoever. It wasn’t a shot at the person. It was how are we making our team better by drafting a guy in the [third round] … I would’ve said the same thing if they would’ve went, we had Maurkice Pouncey, if they would’ve went and drafted a center,. 'What are we doing? Go find a need in the third round….
"…I don’t have a problem with Mason. Are we boys? Are we friends? No. We don’t need to be though. But I’m rooting for him. I want him to be successful. I want him to lead this team. Both fans, and I’m sure some media people pick up on this that will totally disagree. Think everything I say is is full of crap. And most of them probably have never played or been in the situation anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.”
The truth of the matter is that it wasn't Ben's job to mentor Mason Rudolph. The same way it wasn't Brett Favre's with Aaron Rodgers, or Rodgers with Jordan Love on the Green Bay Packers. The starting quarterback's job is to help win football games. Nothing more, nothing less.
But winning football games takes up the majority of one's time. The film study, the practice reps, the treatment, the meetings. There simply isn't enough time in the day to do all of that, and then show the young guy, who, if all goes to the team's plans, will replace you, that same process.
That's all Ben was trying to say.
