Pittsburgh Steelers
· 2026-06-25
Former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Eric Ebron has spoken out against Ben Roethlisberger's decision to return for the 2021 season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers started the 2020 season 11-0 but collapsed down the stretch, losing five of their last six games.
Ebron pointed out that Roethlisberger's knees were getting bad, and he couldn't get under center, making the offense one-dimensional.
The team's performance suffered as a result, with Ebron stating that they "forgot [the other team] gets paid, too" and that the defense figured out their strategy.
Ebron believes that Roethlisberger should have retired after the 2020 season, citing his decline in performance and mobility issues.
Roethlisberger was 38 at the time and had pretty much no mobility, with his lower body being "shot".
The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently standing 16th in the National Football Conference with a 3-14 record and are on a 9-game losing streak as of June 25, 2026.
Their next game is against the Atlanta Falcons on September 13, 2026.
And the team will look to improve their performance with a new strategy and possibly new players.
But for now, they are focused on preparing for the upcoming game.
So the Steelers will need to work on their offense and defense to turn their season around.
The team's owner, Art Rooney II, had wanted Roethlisberger to return for one last year, despite general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin being ready to move on.
Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a 9-6-1 season and a playoff berth in his final season but ended with a blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round.