Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is setting the record straight about Ben Roethlisberger's leadership.
Colbert defended the veteran against recent speculation that Roethlisberger might be losing the trust of Pittsburgh's locker room, and insisted he has the opposite effect on his teammates.
“Ben Roethlisberger is unquestionably the leader of this team,’’ Colbert said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Not [just] by my standards, by the standards the team recognizes."
Colbert's comments come after disgruntled wide receiver Antonio Brown held a Q&A session on Twitter over the weekend and publicly criticized the quarterback, saying he has an "owner's mentality" and “can call out anybody including coaches."
Colbert said Wednesday, however, he has "no problem" with Roethlisberger calling out the team, and said the players should follow Roethlisberger's leadership because of the amount of experience he brings as a two-time Super Bowl champion.
“If our players were smart, they’d listen to him because he’s been there, he’s done it," Colbert said. "He can tell them, ‘No, guys, what you’re doing is or is not good enough to do this.’ ... I have no problem with him. He can call me out and that’s fine. What he does I totally respect because I’ve seen him too many times win games for us and come through in situations.
“Roethlisberger is our only Super Bowl winner,’’ Colbert continued. “As the quarterback and as that Super Bowl participant, it’s a big burden for him, it really is. We’ve talked about this with some of our guys. It’s a tremendous weight for him to have to carry that week-in and week-out because this team looks to him, as they should, as a franchise, Hall of Fame quarterback. It’s a huge responsibility."
The Steelers are expected to make significant roster changes this offseason with Le'Veon Bell entering free agency and Brown forcing his way out of the organization.
Pittsburgh owner Art Rooney II indicated last month the franchise intends to sign Roethlisberger, who turns 37 in March, to a contract extension as his current deal expires after the 2019 season. Colbert added they want Roethlisberger to "finish his career here."