When asked by reporters after the game if he was doing anything
differently under center, Roethlisberger replied, "I don't think so, but
maybe I am. Maybe I don't have it anymore. I'm not playing well
enough."
Two questions later, he Tyrod Taylor Authentic Jersey course-corrected. Asked if he is doubting his game, Big Ben responded,
"Nope. If anybody in this room ever has that doubt, they probably aren't
here. You know what I'm saying? Professional athletes shouldn't have
doubt."
Roethlisberger's five interceptions were a career-high and the most
thrown by a quarterback since Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed six in September
2016. But Big Ben acted unfazed by his career-worst outing.
"Yeah, that's the way Zay Jones Authentic Jersey the ball bounces sometimes," he said. "When you play this game long
enough, you're going to get those games."
A confluence of unfortunate events preceded Big Ben's five-pick affair. A
public spat between Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown over the
quarterback missing his wide-open star wideout in Pittsburgh's Week 4
victory dominated the headlines leading up to this one. Surrounded by
top talent at every position, the quarterback also hasn't had a very
consistent statistical season, entering this game Carson Wentz Authentic Jersey having not tossed for over 300 yards and completing just 62 percent of
his passes.
But this also isn't the first time in the last five months that
Roethlisberger has publicly suggested he is losing a step and/or that
this might be his final season in football. One of the offseason's most Derek Carr Authentic Jersey overcooked storylines was that Big Ben was seriously considering
retirement at the end of the 2016 season and continues to do so.
"Age," Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in July of his
reasons for retiring. "It's just, it's 14 years; that's a long time. I
think the average life expectancy in the NFL is 3 years, maybe 3.5 now.
"I've been blessed to do this a long time. I think it's just seeing my
kids growing up, and in the offseason I love getting to spend time with
them, and then I come here and football season just has to take up so
much of your time."
On Sunday, it wasn't so Deshaun Watson Authentic Jersey much injuries and his health as it was poor performance that inspired
Big Ben to consider football mortality in front of scribes.
While we don't expect Roethlisberger to physically quit on the Steelers,
who despite the setback are still the runaway favorites to win the AFC
North, but it's fair to wonder whether the quarterback's heart is really
in this season. After all, once you start talking about retirement,
you've already retired. ?
