Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II has chose not to retain Bruce Arians as the teams offensive coordinator, a move that was directly against the wishes of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Following his five year stint at the position Arians has also announced his retirement from the NFL.

Since taking over the position five years ago when Mike Tomlin took control of the Pittsburgh Steelers Arians has turned the “blue-collar” team into a pass heavy offensive and it’s believed that Art Rooney wanted to see the team get back to its run-heavy strategy.

The move to a pass heavy offense made sense from a Ben Roethlisberger perspective as the QB has a strong arm that has helped the team rank in the top half of the NFL in offense over the past three seasons, however they finished in 12th this past season in terms of offensive play-making.

In a statement regarding the release Tomlins wrote:

“Bruce Arians has informed me that he will retire from coaching. I appreciate his efforts over the past five years as the team’s offensive coordinator and for helping lead our offense to new heights during his time with the Steelers. I am grateful to Bruce for contributing to our success and wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.”

At this time it’s still unclear who will take over at the offensive coordinator position however Art Rooney has a history of promoting from within, in fact Arians joined the team in 2004 as the wide receivers coach and was promoted to his final position on the team.

Do you think heading back towards the teams “blue collar” run heavy offensive is the right move to make?

Pittsburgh Steelers Release Bruce Arians Against Roethlisberger’s Wishes is a post from: The Inquisitr

Injured Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said on Thursday that the would like to play in his teams regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday despite an ankle injury.

Speaking about his pain management he said:

“As long as I can deal with pain, I’ll be out there,” while adding, “I don’t want to let the guys down, so I’ll do what I can to be out there.”

While Roethlisberger sat out during his teams Sunday victory over the St. Louis Rams he did fully participate in team practice on Thursday.

Ben Roethlisberger sprained his ankle during Pittsburgh’s Dec. 8 meeting against the Cleveland Browns, a diagnosis that was confirmed with the help of an MRI.

At this time the QB is calling his ankle “a little sore.”

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians acknowledged that the ankle was doing better and noted:

“I want him out there but not at the risk of injuring himself,” Arians said. “If he can’t move around and get out of the way, there’s no sense in getting him out there.”

If Roethlisberger still can’t play Charlie Batch will once again take the QB1 position where he threw for 208 yards to help defeat the St. Louis Rams.

In the meantime the Steelers are still hoping to capture a win. If Pittsburgh wins and the Baltimore Ravens lose to the Cincinnati Bengals they will capture the AFC North championship title.

Given his history of playing with broken and injured body parts I highly suspect he’ll play on Sunday if he’s feeling even moderately better.

Do you think Pittsburgh can win their game on Sunday if Ben Roethlisberger is forced to sit out?

[Image via Joy Fera / Shutterstock.com]

Injured Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger Says He Wants To Play Against Cleveland Browns is a post from: The Inquisitr

The good news is that Ben Roethlisberger didn’t break his leg. The bad news is that he has a high ankle sprain. The injury is bad enough, however, that Big Ben’s starting spot next Sunday is questionable.

USA Today reports that Roethlisberger injured his ankle during the second quarter of the Browns game. Initial X-rays showed that there was no break and Roethlisberger returned to the game to lead the Steelers to their fourth consecutive victory.

After the game, Roethlisberger said:

“I thought my leg was broken, honestly. One of the most painful things I’ve ever felt. I didn’t want to feel that my foot was outside of my leg. The plan on my part was basically to give it one or two more plays and see how I could do it. It wasn’t for any other reason than to be out there for my guys.”

Roethlisberger underwent an MRI earlier today and according to Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network, the MRI confirmed that there was no break but that Roethlisberger suffered a high ankle sprain.

Coach Mike Tomlin said that after the doctor’s gave him the OK, there was no question that Roethlisberger would return to the game. Tomlin said:

 ”The doctors said he was OK to go. He wanted to go. We know what a competitor he is. We know his pain tolerance. We know what he’s capable of.”

NFL News reports that Roethlisberger will wear a walking boot this weekend and will be re-evaluated next week. A high ankle sprain typically sidelines a player for two weeks. Roethlisberger’s Thursday night game means that he has 10-days to recover.

Do you think Big Ben will play next week?

Ben Roethlisberger’s MRI Reveals Sprain, Questionable for Sunday is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ben Roethlisberger has been asked by Pittsburgh Steelers staff members to protect his fractured right thumb during the teams bye week.

According to the star QB he plans to heed his doctors warning:

“I won’t have to throw for a week or so, (until) next Wednesday or whenever we practice next week,” Roethlisberger said. “So, that’ll be a good time for it to rest. For me, it’ll just be getting used to throwing with a splint on again and a glove on, which I’ve done before.”

The injury was sustained during his teams 24-17 win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday and Ben says he’s not really sure when the injury occurred, only that he realized the injury while coming out for the second half.

According to Roethlisberger:

“It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests (Monday), and it’s fractured in there.”

While big Ben eventually realized his injury he continued to play with the broken thumb while completing 7 of 11 passes in the second half for 70 yards including a 4-for-4 performance during his teams game-winning drive in the third quarter.

Speaking after the game Ben revealed:

“It hurt, but (Steelers head trainer) John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape and going with it,” Roethlisberger said. “Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit.”

This is the quarterbacks second injury of the season after suffering a sprained foot earlier in October.

Steelers fans will likely recall that Ben Roethlisberger suffered a similar injury in 2005 and during that season he took his team to their fifth Super Bowl victory.

[via]

Ben Roethlisberger Fractured Right Thumb In Win Over Cincinnati is a post from: The Inquisitr

After the Pittsburgh Steelers loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was spotted wearing a boot on his left foot and now it has been confirmed that Big Ben has at least a sprained left foot.

The Steelers are scheduled to take on the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and at this time Ben’s playing status is still unknown.

An MRI on Sunday revealed a possible fracture in the foot however due to swelling the test was inconclusive and more information is still needed.

According to Roethlisberger his injury was sustained on the second-to-last series of his teams 17-10 loss to Houston after he was tackled from behind. Ben stayed in the game but ended up with a hurt foot and had trouble walking around the locker room.

Aside from the MRI an X-ray was also inconclusive.

“I don’t know. I’m still worrying about this game,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s still too fresh in my mind to worry about next week yet.”

Even if the foot is broken there’s a good chance Ben will continue to play, last season he broke his right foot but stayed on the field through the pain.

“You know me — if I can be out there, I’m going to be out there. That’s so for next week, too,” he said after the game. “If I can do it and if I have to cast it up — we saw I had to do that last year. I casted up my foot for the last half of the year. If we have to do it, I’ll do it.”

Roethlisberger was sacked five times Sunday after his injury plagued offensive life was unable to protect their QB, an issue that could worse if his foot leaves him unable to scramble when needed.

Ben Roethlisberger Suffering Sprained Foot, Status Still Unknown is a post from: The Inquisitr

All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson was injured on Sunday while his fellow Houston Texans went on to claim the W against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Backing up Johnson after his injury Arian Foster helped carry his team with 155 yards and a go-ahead touchdown following Johnson’s hamstring injury as the Texans defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-10.

Speaking after the game Foster revealed:

“I go into every contest thinking that I’m the go-to guy,” while adding, “When the flow of the game starts going, we need certain things, and you’ve got to be there for your team.”

After heading to the teams dressing room Johnson returned to the sidelines to watch his 3-1 Texans finish off the injury riddled Steelers (2-2).

The injury doesn’t seem serious with Texans owner Bob McNair telling ESPN that he wasn’t “overly concerned” with the injury but would wait for final tests to be returned.

As Johnson bowed out with his injury Foster looked healthy for the first time in the weeks as he broke for a 42-yard touchdown with 30 carries.

Foster said of his performance:

“It was my first game back, really, fully, and I felt 100 percent…It was a nice welcome back and those guys were really welcoming.”

In the meanwhile Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger was beat up during the game with five sacks as the Steeler’s were missing two of their regular line starters. After the game Big Ben was seen wearing a protective boot on his left foot.

How much do you think the Andre Johnson injury will hurt the Houston Texans.

Andre Johnson Injured As Texans Top Steelers, Beat Up Roethlisberger is a post from: The Inquisitr

PITTSBURGH, Ohio, July 23 (UPI) - Ben Roethlisberger added a new ring to his collection this weekend, and this one had nothing to do with his passing skills on the football field.

“Big Ben,” the 29-year-old star Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, married New Castle native Ashley Harlan in a private church ceremony in Ohio Township, then celebrated into the night at a reception Downtown.

After posing for photographs at Christ Church at Grove Farm in Ohio Township, the pair and their guests boarded two limousine buses and later arrived via police escort at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for their reception, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

Fans and media alike were kept at a safe distance from the ceremony, the details of which were closely guarded. Little information about the nuptials was leaked beforehand, though the police presence around the Christ Church at Grove Farm — where both Roethlisberger and Harlan are member — indicated this was no ordinary Saturday.

Among the 650 guests at the reception were Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney and Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux.

Roethlisberger’s wedding came 14 months after he had faced accusations of rape for the second time in as many years. The two-time Super Bowl champion, however, wasn’t charged in either instance.

via UPI

Ben Roethlisberger, Amy Harlan Tie the Knot in Private Pittsburgh Wedding is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Pittsburgh Steelers face a very big challenge that will start day one of their training camp. How will they find enough first team snaps for Ben Roethlisberger to prepare him for the job once he serves his suspension and rejoins the team, and for whichever back up QB will have the short term starting  job while Big Ben is off learning how to be good.

Steelers Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians has a careful balancing act to conduct. He will have to find snaps to get Big Ben ready for the season, and enough snaps to evaluate who should take over for him in his absence. That means no less than three QB’s; Ben, Charlie Batch, and Byron Leftwich will need time with the first team offense. Most football fans know if you have more than one QB you really do not have any at all. Somehow the Steelers are going to have find enough snaps in training camp and pre season to get a good feel for who should be their starting QB through at least the first four games of the season.

They brought back Leftwich because he has been with the team before, and has a good grasp of their offense. On top of that Batch has proven he can be an adequate fill in when Ben has been injured. However this decision gets a little uglier when we realize that the best solution is for the Steelers to reinvest their commitment to the running game.

The real problem there is their opponents already know that , so they are very likely to stack their defense against the Steeler running attack. That means that they need to find a QB who can make their opponents at least respect the passing attack that is void WR Santonio Holmes. I would not want to have to game plan that attack, and I am sure all this is costing Arians a lot of sleep.

Related Links:

•Pittsburgh Steelers news and notes
•The Business of the NFL
•MTR Football.com

Are the Steelers headed towards a disaster? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Big Ben Roethlisberger got a six game suspension for violating the league’s Personal Conduct policy. While I have called for the suspension for Ben, because of his pattern of unacceptable behavior, I have to wonder if it was a fair suspension. Sure he has acted like an idiot, and he has lost sight of the fact that playing in the NFL is a privilege not a right. However, with that being said, would a less high profile player have gotten the same suspension?

I get it; he is a QB, a two time Super Bowl Champion and likely headed to the Hall of Fame when his playing days are done. However Eric Foster DT of the Indianapolis Colts was also accused of sexual assault and his case has been largely ignored. Sure there is no black and white, everything is a shade of grey and each incident must be dealt with separately. I get all that, but I would be surprised if anyone cares what Mr. Foster did or did not do.

Some of that is the fault of the media. I understand that Big Ben is a, much bigger story then Foster, but from a league standpoint should these players not be dealt within the same manner? They are players in the same league, and members of the same union, should they not be treated equally?

It is a really tough question to ask, even tougher to answer but I think it is an issue that needs to be addressed. If I were to commit a felony, and one of my fellow writers here were to commit a felony would we not get the same punishment? Maybe, but maybe not.

Was the Big Ben suspension fair? is a post from: The Inquisitr

I am not one to rumor monger, or do I like hype up a story before all the facts are in. However it is my job to report on the news, and it now looks like Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is being accused of sexual assault again. While I am always skeptical of reports that come up months or years later, this incident allegedly took place last Friday night. Allegations that come forward this fast are usually based in some kind of fact, and at the very last Big Ben is continuing to put himself in bad situations.

Let’s be clear in the fact that I, and everyone else, took the first alleged incident in stride. It was bogus, and that woman had zero credibility. However, this now seems to be a pattern of behavior with Ben. Regardless of  how true this is or not it seems Ben is acting in a manner that invites these kinds of charges. For Steelers fans that is very troubling.

Apparently Ben and some friends were out bar hopping to celebrate Ben’s 28th birthday. Ben and his group were mingling with a group that included the alleged victim. She, a reported 20 year old College student, reported the incident to a nearby police officer shortly after the alleged assault occurred.

However this turns out this is at least the third time that Ben has been involved in an incident calling his judgment into question. The previous alleged sexual assault happened in Lake Tahoe, and in 2006 he wrecked his motor cycle while driving around without a helmet or a valid license.

Related Links:

•Pittsburgh Steelers news and notes
•NFL Complete.com

Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault is a post from: The Inquisitr

The all-powerful ESPN sports media network is choosing not to report on some pretty big stories recently: the Erin Andrews peephole video and the Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault case. It’s not hard to figure out why.

In the case of Andrews, at least, ESPN is looking very much like it’s taking the high moral ground. Their star sideline reporter has had her privacy grossly invaded with not only illegally obtained video of her in a hotel room propagating its way across the Internet, but even mainstream publications like the New York Post publishing screen grabs on their front page. In contrast, ESPN’s stated decision to not report on the story, big as it has been across the Web, looks like a prudent and classy decision.

On the subject of Ben Roethlisberger, however, their reasoning seems a little suspect. Even the NFL has now talked about how they will look into the civil lawsuit filed by an employee of the Harrah’s casino chain alleging that not only did Roethlisberger sexually assault her in a hotel room, but that the Harrah’s management covered it up.

Could it be that ESPN is protecting its relationship with Roethlisberger, who recently filmed a segment on the upcoming reality television show Shaq Vs., with Shaquille O’Neal, on ESPN’s sister station ABC? Big Ben filmed the segment after the scandal broke but the network canceled a press conference to publicize it.

On defence, ESPN is dodging some big sport stories is a post from: The Inquisitr