Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Uses Kendrick Green FB Story To Absolutely Blast Kevin Colbert's 2021 Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger are synonymous. Roethlisberger spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. During what is likely to end with a trip to Canton, OH to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, he played with a plethora of All-Pro and Pro Bowl offensive talent. He had a special bond with several players, but none more profound than with the men who snapped him the ball during his career.

Roethlisberger worked primarily with two great centers during his Hall of Fame career. When he was thrust onto the field as a rookie, Jeff Hartings was his center. The pair won Super Bowl XL working together. After Hartings retired in 2006, Roethlisberger briefly worked with Justin Hartwig to win Super Bowl XLIII.

In 2010, the Steelers drafted Maurkice Pouncey to play center. Except when sidelined by injury, Pouncey and Roethlisberger worked together until they lost to the Cleveland Browns in possibly the most painful loss outside of Super Bowl XXX in Steelers' history. They both sat dejected on a Pittsburgh bench, knowing it was the end of an era. Pouncey retired, but Roethlisberger came back for one last shot at glory.

On Episode 31 of Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, which premiered on Wednesday, the former quarterback shared his thoughts on Kendrick Green’s transformation to fullback with his co-host, Spencer T’eo. Roethlisberger has long demonstrated an ability to convey controversial points with subtle jabs.

"The fact of the matter that I heard this week that the guy that they drafted, and I love this guy, so this is not a knock on him, I love Kendrick Green. I think he was a great guy, good teammate, loved him. He was my center my last year. They drafted that guy to be my center. Well last year, he didn't even dress. And now they have him playing a little fullback."

Roethlisberger doesn’t usually go into a big windup unless he is planning on uncorking an observation that could be seen as a slight of a former teammate. After complimenting Green, the but that was coming had to be massive. In true Roethlisberger fashion, he pump-faked the take on his former center and aimed squarely at the former general manager.

The disdain for Kevin Colbert in particular and the Steelers organization, in general, is palpable. Roethlisberger has made no secret of his disappointment with how his career ended. Many in the organization and the national media piled on to the two-time Super Bowl champion during his final go-around as an NFL quarterback. He has made peace with Kenny Pickett as his successor, but not with how his career ended. Roethlisberger threw the jab, then feinted away with praise for Green. 

"Good for [Green] to find a way to get on the field," Roethlisberger concluded. "He could have said I am not the starting center anymore. I'm not even the backup center. I don't even know what I'm doing and quit. But he's like, no, how can I help the team (he raises hand)? But it's still funny that's the guy they got for me. Kevin Colbert and them got him to be my center my last year."

In fairness to Green, he had played guard primarily at the University of Illinois. He did play some center and was thrust into the role as a rookie. The organization did not do him any favors by slapping Pouncey's number on his back immediately and raising fan expectations. Green's perseverance is commendable, but Roethlisberger's disdain is evident. 

Steelers Former General Manager Deserves Ample Criticism For 2021 NFL Draft Failures

Colbert's draft record since 2016 is highly spotty, and Mike Tomlin has paid the price for it. An inexperienced center and an aging quarterback could have been a recipe for disaster, and often was in 2021. Roethlisberger gets too little credit for just how effectively he led the Steelers to the playoffs in his final season with seven come-from-behind victories. The offensive line struggled, and the defense was slightly more effective than a Pop Warner team against the run in his last season. 

Roethlisberger has taken massive amounts of criticism since the end of his career and the beginning of the Footbahlin podcast. He has uncorked several takes that made national headlines. Talking heads like Robert Griffin III have quickly misinterpreted his intent, while others like Pat McAfee have commended him for refreshing honesty. Roethlisberger is turning into a fantastic media figure, but he felt he had gas in the tank, and the Steelers wasted it.  

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you surprised Roethlisberger took a shot at Colbert while praising Green? Let me know what you think. Please comment below, or on my Twitter X: @thebubbasq. 

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