It has been nearly 20 years since Ben Roethlisberger was a rookie. He was selected in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft and set off into the sunset this offseason, announcing his retirement from the league after 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But, Roethlisberger is a rookie once again this offseason. He is venturing into the world of podcasting, hosting a show called Footbahlin’ along with a co-host that goes by Spence. It is a second career that the future Hall of Famer should have no issues transitioning into.
Roethlisberger is no stranger to stirring up some headlines. Some of his past transgressions are well documented and he has experience in front of a microphone during a weekly spot with 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh.
Alas, those interviews eventually came to an end after he cause a few too many rifts. But, that is sometimes what makes a podcast worth tuning in for is that you will hear something that will start up a conversation or debate.
Roethlisberger already did that once this offseason when he made some comments that Cam Heyward took offense to. With a new podcast dropping, he will surely say some more things that could be lightning rods for reactions.
During his first episode, which was taped last week during the storied Backyard Brawl rivalry game between Pittsburgh and West Virginia in the college ranks, one of the topics discussed was who the starting quarterback for the Steelers should be. In Roethlisberger’s opinion, Mitchell Trubisky should be the guy.
“In my opinion, I think Mitchell Trubisky is the starter,” Roethlisberger said. “He should start. I think he’s a veteran, he’s been around for a while. He gives you, in my opinion, the best chance to win right now.”
After being named one of five captains for the team, it is probably safe to say that Trubisky will be under center for the Steelers in Week 1 when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals. He will be under some pressure to perform, however, as rookie Kenny Pickett, who played locally at Pitt collegiately, played well during the preseason and is waiting in the wings for his opportunity to take over the offense.