Throughout many of the last several years, Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has stepped firmly into a major leadership role with the franchise.

It is something that he has taken a strong approach toward embracing where he has often times openly called out his teammates through the media for what he believes are their shortcomings on the field.

That is something that Roethlisberger has voiced that he believes is part of being a leader, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

“Being around for a long time, being with a lot of different players, you have to know how to motivate guys in different ways,” Roethlisberger said. “That's part of being a leader and a captain — just understanding players. Sometimes you just grab them off to the side, sometimes you have to be honest with them. And so, I think I've earned the right to be able to do that, as long as I've been here. And I'll be just as critical on myself in front of you guys as well.”

Article Continues Below
More Pittsburgh Steelers News
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
DK Metcalf’s ‘expected’ mandatory minicamp status after Aaron Rodgers signingBen Strauss ·
Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott (25) runs off the field after the victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium.
Steelers DB DeShon Elliott’s savage Aaron Rodgers shot resurfaces amid QB’s decisionAlex House ·
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin sets up a timeout in the second quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.
Next big move Steelers must make after securing Aaron Rodgers agreementDouglas Fritz ·
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) reacts following a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
When Aaron Rodgers will face Packers, Bears in 2025 NFL seasonJake Faigus ·
image thumbnail
3 Aaron Rodgers bold predictions for 2025 NFL season with SteelersJaren Kawada ·
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is shown after he led Gang Green to a 32-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins, on Jan. 5, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J.
Aaron Rodgers makes Steelers ‘Super Bowl contenders,’ ex-QB saysLorenzo J Reyna ·

Roethlisberger clearly possesses a strong belief that this is an aspect of leadership that is needed to help keep himself and his teammates accountable. It is also a way to provide more motivation to help stir things back in the right direction for the betterment of the team.

There are many ways that this can be interpreted, but this the path that Roethlisberger has chosen to stay firmly on regardless who he decides to discuss openly through the use of the media.

At the same time, it is something that can create some unnecessary scrutiny with things that could be handled differently.

Nonetheless, Roethlisberger is all in on helping do whatever he believes is necessary to help push his team in the right direction toward competing for a Super Bowl.