The Pittsburgh Steelers have a major set challenges facing them for the offseason of 2019 after they managed to miss the postseason for the first time in five years. The failure has been taken especially grievously because of the fact that the team was in position to control their own fate even for homefield advantage with six games remaining before dropping four games.
And so they find themselves getting the exit meeting process underway at least two weeks earlier than they have had to in years, since they have made it to at least the Divisional Round since 2015. Hopefully they used those extra two weeks with purpose.
While we might not know all the details about what goes on between Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings, we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were let up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2018 season.
Player: Ben Roethlisberger
Position: Quarterback
Experience: 15 Years
Well, this was certainly an interesting season for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and we’ll soon see if it is one that will go down in the annals as a ‘Pro Bowl’ one. While he did not make it outright, and wasn’t even a first alternate, there will be at least one more replacement, and he could be it.
Some of his statistics support inclusion into the game. He led the league in attempts, completions, and passing yards—but also in interceptions. He threw for over 5000 yards, and his 34 touchdowns were the most in team history, as well as among the most in the AFC.
He didn’t get off to such a slow start as he did last year—in fact, he threw at least one touchdown pass and 250 passing yards in 15 of the Steelers’ 16 games, including 11 games with multiple touchdown passes—but he was still inconsistent within.
He threw six interceptions in the Steelers’ first five games, then just one over the next four weeks. Then six over the three weeks that followed. He had nine passes intercepted over the final seven weeks.
He led game-winning or comeback drives, but came up short in other opportunities, notably throwing an interception at the goal line against the Denver Broncos. He inexplicably took a long time to get his connection with Antonio Brown going as well, perhaps the most baffling thing for the entire year.
And then there were all of the headlines that he drew for his comments on his radio show, more than ever. There are reports that there are those in the locker room who were upset by some of those remarks that put down teammates.
Roethlisberger’s leadership is being questioned from the outside, and perhaps more quietly from the inside as well. That may be equally as important as his continued play on the field in 2019 as the Steelers work out some internal issues.
