The Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled of late, failing to win in each of their past three games. Amid the team's woes, one former Steelers defender had some critical comments regarding the play of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Speaking on ESPN's Get Up, Former Steelers Pro Bowler Ryan Clark didn't hold back when weighing in on his former comrade, in what could be Roethlisberger's final league in the year.
.@Realrclark25 had strong words for his former teammate, Ben Roethlisberger.
"I owe my Super Bowl ring to Ben Roethlisberger. With all that being said, time is up. It's time to move on. … Big Ben is hurting this team now. … It's time for Big Ben to take a seat." pic.twitter.com/k5cCyD6l8A
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 3, 2021
Clark, who spent eight years playing safety for the Steelers from 2006-2013, admitted that he wouldn't have his Super Bowl ring had it not been for Ben Roethlisberger, but insisted that it was time for the Steelers to park the 39-year-old on the bench.
“Big Ben's hurting this team now. Big Ben's not allowing the other pieces allow him to progress, to grow, to learn. He hurts Chase Claypool. He hurts Diontae Johnson. He hurts Najee Harris. He hurts the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense as a whole.”
Clark's comments come following the Steelers' 41-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, a game in which Roethlisberger completed just 58.5% of his pass attempts for one touchdown and two interceptions. Still, one bad game shouldn't be enough for Clark to abandon faith in Roethlisberger.
Prior to the rough outing against their division rivals, Roethlisberger had been playing his best football of the season. Big Ben had thrown nine touchdowns and zero interceptions in his previous five games, which featured a stretch that saw the Steelers win four straight games.
Frustrations are mounting after the rough month the Steelers endured, but to squarely place the blame on Ben Roethlisberger's shoulders is not the answer here. If anything, outside of Week 12, Roethlisberger has been enjoying his best stretch of the year, and he'll have a chance to shut Clark up with a strong showing on Sunday.
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