Why we should move on from Ben

[NorthCoast]

This Wexell article sums up a lot of the same feelings I have about Ben. Don’t agree with the Hue Jackson angle but I’m talking about the “dirty little secret” part.

Ben always came across as reactive instead of proactive as our franchise QB once Bettis and company left the building.

The photos hanging out with WR’s before the 2019 season. Does that happen if AB didn’t call out Ben? Why does someone have to call him out for him to do what QB’s are supposed to do naturally?

Does Ben run a QB sneak vs Cleveland if we didn’t make a big deal about it the prior year? Notice how he hasn’t done it since? He did that to joke Haley.. but why not continue to do it since its low risk and usually works?

This is what I mean when I say Ben does his own thing. He just never felt like a guy who did these things because it would help us win games.. just felt like he did them because he was called out on it.

We didn’t need to see Ben hanging out with WR’s or running QB sneaks to make fans and critics eat their words. We needed him to do it because it makes the team better and gives us the best chance to win. People ask about QB sneaks and Ben responds with “I asked Tomlin to run some QB draws at the GL” umm what? No one wants you run QB draws Ben.. you are slow as hell, we want you to run QB sneaks and keep the chains moving.

Ok to some points, meh to others. He wasn't into practices and studying, we knew that since about his first season. And it doesn't seem to have changed much over the years. But he brought it at game time.

I am vexed by the lack of QB sneaks. On the one hand the HC said he isn't opposed to them if the situation called for it. On the other Roethlisberger says "I'm for it, but it's kinda over my head why we don't do it. I'm not going to second guess why we don't run the quarterback sneak. I don't know."

And then there is this WTF from Fichtner on QB sneaks:

“Just the truth be known, if we can’t hand it to one of our backs and we can’t block ‘em, we didn’t deserve to win that down.”

Just wow...that's all I can muster on that.

But meh, where is it written the QB has to hang out with this WRs? The fact is Roethlisberger liked to hang out with his OL instead, after all they are probably a bigger part of his longevity and career than the WRs. WRs have come and gone but the core of the OL has stayed together a very long time (even AB..what has he done since he left?).

[Northern_Blitz]

Ok to some points, meh to others. He wasn't into practices and studying, we knew that since about his first season. And it doesn't seem to have changed much over the years. But he brought it at game time.

I am vexed by the lack of QB sneaks. On the one hand the HC said he isn't opposed to them if the situation called for it. On the other Roethlisberger says "I'm for it, but it's kinda over my head why we don't do it. I'm not going to second guess why we don't run the quarterback sneak. I don't know."

And then there is this WTF from Fichtner on QB sneaks:



Just wow...that's all I can muster on that.

But meh, where is it written the QB has to hang out with this WRs? The fact is Roethlisberger liked to hang out with his OL instead, after all they are probably a bigger part of his longevity and career than the WRs. WRs have come and gone but the core of the OL has stayed together a very long time (even AB..what has he done since he left?).

Ben: I can't run a QB sneak if it's not called.

Also Ben: I often make up plays, draw them in the dirt and tell everyone what to do with no input from the OC.

FWIW I think the QB, HC, and FO decided a while ago that it isn't worth the risk. Maybe one of those voices is loudest, but it probably doesn't really matter. Except to Haley who maybe got fired over it (and probably many other things)

[Joel Buchsbaum]

Our window to play in the super bowl has slammed shut. Look at free agency and who we will lose, and our schedule. Ben is old. ( 39 next season ) . He's 41 million on the cap, we can cut him and reduce that number to 19 million. If he's willing to take a massive pay cut and play for 25 million okay then I say keep him for one more year.

Its hard to say but I lean toward cutting him if the numbers remain the same,. Give him a full media day, and Art Rooney II's suite for the day. Sorry, we need players and to get our cap situation under control.

[Northern_Blitz]

Our window to play in the super bowl has slammed shut. Look at free agency and who we will lose, and our schedule. Ben is old. ( 39 next season ) . He's 41 million on the cap, we can cut him and reduce that number to 19 million. If he's willing to take a massive pay cut and play for 25 million okay then I say keep him for one more year.

Its hard to say but I lean toward cutting him if the numbers remain the same,. Give him a full media day, and Art Rooney II's suite for the day. Sorry, we need players and to get our cap situation under control.

I think it's worth remembering that his cap hit isn't his salary.

His hit is 41M because we restructured his contract.

There's nothing we can do about 21M of that.

He's getting paid about 19M this upcoming season (not 41M). That's probably at or below market value for a QB his vintage.

He's not going to take a paycut.

If he agrees it's his last year, they can roll most of that into signing bonus, spread it over 5 years and give him a minimum salary. I think this pits his cap hit around 26M maybe 27M.

Then his contract gets voided after next season and we get 14M in dead money the next year.

[feltdizz]

Ok to some points, meh to others. He wasn't into practices and studying, we knew that since about his first season. And it doesn't seem to have changed much over the years. But he brought it at game time.

I am vexed by the lack of QB sneaks. On the one hand the HC said he isn't opposed to them if the situation called for it. On the other Roethlisberger says "I'm for it, but it's kinda over my head why we don't do it. I'm not going to second guess why we don't run the quarterback sneak. I don't know."

And then there is this WTF from Fichtner on QB sneaks:



Just wow...that's all I can muster on that.

But meh, where is it written the QB has to hang out with this WRs? The fact is Roethlisberger liked to hang out with his OL instead, after all they are probably a bigger part of his longevity and career than the WRs. WRs have come and gone but the core of the OL has stayed together a very long time (even AB..what has he done since he left?).

If Ben said that or just ignored AB and continued to do his thing I would agree with you. But photos of him hanging out with the WR’s the next offseason is an example of Ben being reactive.

and AB was pretty good the last 5 weeks of the regular season this year. I believe he had a game winning TD vs Washington a few weeks back.

[Steel Maniac]

Our window to play in the super bowl has slammed shut. Look at free agency and who we will lose, and our schedule. Ben is old. ( 39 next season ) . He's 41 million on the cap, we can cut him and reduce that number to 19 million. If he's willing to take a massive pay cut and play for 25 million okay then I say keep him for one more year.

Its hard to say but I lean toward cutting him if the numbers remain the same,. Give him a full media day, and Art Rooney II's suite for the day. Sorry, we need players and to get our cap situation under control.

I’m with you; it’s time to move on. And managements reluctance to do that is hindering us from rebuilding the way we need to. Our window was shut after we lost to the Jags in 2018.

[hawaiiansteel]

Ben: I can't run a QB sneak if it's not called.

Also Ben: I often make up plays, draw them in the dirt and tell everyone what to do with no input from the OC.

FWIW I think the QB, HC, and FO decided a while ago that it isn't worth the risk. Maybe one of those voices is loudest, but it probably doesn't really matter. Except to Haley who maybe got fired over it (and probably many other things)

Ben has always had that passive-aggressive side to him.