The first day of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ voluntary OTAs began today, but with a new look at a couple positions. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was able to touch on the quarterback position because today was the first day the team rolled out their new potential starting quarterbacks.
While there is a sense of unfamiliarity in the air today as it was the first day the Steelers will be without their two-time Super Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. As surreal as this feels, a new era of Steeler football has begun.
Tomlin said in his presser that it’s weird not having him out there, but echoed the same sentiment about GM Kevin Colbert, who announced his retirement before the 2022 NFL Draft.
“It is,” he said via the team’s YouTube channel when asked if it was weird not to see Roethlisberger. “But it’s ever-changing in this business. That’s a component of it. It’s weird to be out here without Kevin Colbert in an official capacity. That’s just the nature of this thing. Wheels keep turning.”
Tomlin spent 14 seasons with Roethlisberger as well as never having a losing season. It’s almost impossible to sustain 14 seasons with not one losing season even when Roethlisberger didn’t play the entire 2019 season. Many Steeler fans caught a glimpse of what reality may be like without Roethlisberger and now that the time is here, It’s those types of shoes that will be challenging, but possible to replace.
With Roethlisberger retiring, this will be a new test for coach Tomlin, as it will be the first time in his coaching career with the Steelers that he will have a chance to groom the next quarterback.
Although it’s still May, Tomlin knows you can’t win the offseason right now.
“Nobody is going to win a job or lose a job out here in shorts in May.”
All four of these quarterbacks will have a chance at a starting role, especially Mason Rudolph. Rudolph was drafted by the team in 2018 in the third round. He has expressed high expectations that his name will be called to take over the starting role after sitting behind Roethlisberger.
Since taking over the Steelers in 2007, Tomlin and Roethlisberger have brought happiness, heart attacks, but most of all, memories to the fans. While there will be no number seven running out of the tunnel this upcoming season, his legacy echoes throughout the 412 and beyond.
