Ben Roethlisberger: We are all about each other

[Steely McBeam]

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Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been the subject of critical comments from a variety of former teammates since the end of the 2018 season and several current teammates have spoken up to refute those barbs, but the quarterback has not offered a direct response to any of it over the last few months.

That didn’t change when he provided a few quotes to the team’s website about the start of the offseason program. Roethlisberger said that it has been “fun to be out there throwing with the guys” for the first time since Week 17 of the 2018 season.

Roethlisberger was also asked about having all of the core veterans on the team on hand for the voluntary sessions and his answer included what could be taken as a comment about some of the people who aren’t in Pittsburgh any longer.

“I expect nothing else,” Roethlisberger said. “We want to show we are here, dedicated to this team, dedicated to having a great season. We are all about each other.”

Running back Le'Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown were the biggest departures from the Steelers. Bell wasn’t with the team at all last season while Brown’s final days with the team did little to live up to the idea of full dedication to the team. That may not have been the impetus for Roethlisberger’s comments on Tuesday, but the choice of words doesn’t feel totally coincidental given the words some others have chosen to use about Roethlisberger of late.