The Steelers improved to 3-0 in the preseason with a win over Tennessee last night in Nashville. It appears the Steelers have moved on from a toxic locker room situation, but it is still on the minds of the sports world. Ben Roethlisberger appears to have second thoughts about his approach as team leader in retrospect.
Roethlisberger sat down with NBC Sports’ Michele Tafoya on Sunday Night Football and expressed regrets about calling out AB, revealing that it “ruined a friendship.”
“I wish I wouldn’t have done it,” the Steelers QB said. “I just got caught up in the emotion and heat of the battle.”
Roethlisberger publicly expressed regret for calling out AB during a radio interview in May, but his wide receiver responded simply with “Two face.”
If I were Ben, I would not feel bad about my conduct. Ben is a captain on the team. Captains are leaders on the field and in the locker room. Part of being a leader is solving problems and holding teammates accountable for their actions. If Antonio Brown can't handle criticism from the team's leader, he doesn't belong on that team, or any team for that matter.
I'm not privy to their personal lives, but I'd say these guys were never friends off the field. Not like "hey come on over for a beer and bring the wife and kids" type-sh*t. So if it cost a friendship to have a chance at another championship, I'd say Ben and the Steelers are on the winning end of this outcome. That is the business of football. The Steelers will have a strong season and make the playoffs this year. The Raiders will simply be an afterthought.