Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin defends Ben Roethlisberger amid calls for QB change

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 10/5/21

Ben Roethlisberger has looked every bit his age through the early part of the NFL season, and there has been increasing talk that the Pittsburgh Steelers should make a quarterback change. Mike Tomlin says that is not going to happen.

With the Steelers now having lost three straight, Tomlin was asked on Tuesday if he feels Roethlisberger still gives the team its best chance to win. He threw his full support behind the veteran.

Mike Tomlin to the question #Steelers fans keep debating: is Ben Roethlisberger still the best option at QB for this team and why? “Absolutely. What he does and what he’s done makes me really comfortable in saying that.”

— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) October 5, 2021

Tomlin then spoke about how he appreciates and respects the passion of Steelers fans.

Mike Tomlin on fans who want the team to move on from Ben Roethlisberger.

"We love Pittsburgh, PA. We love Steelers Nation. We appreciate the passion that they have…we're always ready to absorb the negativity of our positions when things aren't going well." #Steelers

— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) October 5, 2021

Roethlisberger has had trouble staying healthy in recent years, and he has already dealt with multiple injuries this season. Tomlin said Tuesday that Big Ben has a hip injury. The 39-year-old suffered a pectoral muscle injury two weeks ago, and that may be impacting his ability to throw.

The Steelers have not scored more than 17 points in a game since their 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Roethlisberger has a passer rating of 78.9 with just four touchdowns and four interceptions in four games. The Steelers are going to continue to have trouble winning games with that type of offensive inefficiency.

Roethlisberger clearly has Tomlin’s support, but the same may not be true throughout the entire Steelers organization.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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