Jul 23, 2021; Pittsburgh, PA, United States;  Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) talks with defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) before drills during training camp at the Rooney UPMC Sports Performance Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

News Articles

Cameron Heyward takes offense to Big Ben’s jab at current players

Pittsburgh Steelers captain Cameron Heyward didn’t take too kindly to former teammate Ben Roethlisberger’s recent claim that too many current NFL players are “coddled” and have a “me-type attitude.”

Roethlisberger’s comments were published Friday by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“The team was so important,” Roethlisberger said, referring to his first few seasons with the Steelers. “It was all about the team. Now, it’s about me and this, that and the other.

“I might be standing on a soapbox a little bit, but that’s my biggest takeaway from when I started to the end. It turned from a team-first to a me-type attitude. It was hard. It’s hard for these young guys, too. Social media. They’re treated so well in college. Now, this new NIL stuff, which is unbelievable. They’re treated so special. They’re coddled at a young age because college coaches need them to win, too. I know (former Miami of Ohio coach Terry) Hoeppner never coddled me. Neither did (former Steelers coach Bill) Cowher.”

Heyward, 33, was teammates with Roethlisberger from 2011 until the latter retired at the end of last season. The five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman admitted to being upset upon hearing the words of the former quarterback.

“It looks as though we are looked at as selfish players, and I don’t think that’s the point,” he said on the “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” podcast. “We have a lot of young players that come from different backgrounds, have experienced different things from what others or I may have experienced. That doesn’t make them selfish or more of a me-type attitude. … There are a lot more team-first guys than me-type attitude. I took offense to that.”

Heyward made it clear that he wasn’t throwing shade at Roethlisberger.

“Don’t say Cam is calling out Ben — it’s not like that,” Heyward said. “But I will say, I’ll protect my team. I will make sure that everybody knows that we care only about football on the field and less about off the field. We can all understand Ben has been a heck of a QB. You don’t do this game and become a Hall of Fame quarterback and do it at a low level.

“Ben has taken some hits not a lot of other teams could do. He saved us, he won games we weren’t supposed to win, and he’s always stepped up. But it was the team around him that helped him do it, and I don’t want anyone to ever forget that the whole team won — not just Ben.”

Roethlisberger, 40, moved into fifth place on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list on Dec. 19.

The six-time Pro Bowl selection played his entire 18-year career in Pittsburgh, and he owns most of the franchise’s passing records, including completions (5,440), yards (64,088) and touchdowns (418). He led the Steelers to two Super Bowl victories.

–Field Level Media

Field Level Media
Sport Writer & Editor
FLM has a North American focus while tying into regional and hyper-local resources – providing the ability to distribute compelling content through the writing of professional journalists. As the U.S. sports content provider to dozens of digital and print media publishers through strategic partnerships with the likes of Reuters and Nielsen Sports, FLM covers the nuts and bolts with a breaking news desk and game event coverage.

Sportsbooks

Rated 5/5

Rated 5/5

Rated 5/5

Upcoming Games

Dec 10th, 1:00 PM

Detroit -5.5 -116

Chicago +5.5 -116

@

Dec 10th, 1:00 PM

Carolina +6.5 -103

New Orleans -6.5 -103

@

Dec 10th, 1:00 PM

Tampa Bay +2.5 -106

Atlanta -2.5 -106

@

Dec 10th, 1:00 PM

LA Rams +6.5 -118

Baltimore -6.5 -118

@

Dec 10th, 1:00 PM

Indianapolis -0.5 -110

Cincinnati +0.5 -110

@

Dec 10th, 1:00 PM

Jacksonville -2.5 -115

Cleveland +2.5 -115

@

Dec 10th, 1:00 PM

Houston -5.5 -115

NY Jets +5.5 -115

@

Dec 10th, 4:05 PM

Minnesota +0.5 -115

Las Vegas -0.5 -115

@

Dec 10th, 4:05 PM

Seattle +10.5 -108

San Francisco -10.5 -108

@

Dec 10th, 4:25 PM

Buffalo +2.5 -125

Kansas City -2.5 -125

@

Dec 10th, 4:25 PM

Denver +3.5 +103

LA Chargers -3.5 +103

@

Dec 10th, 8:20 PM

Philadelphia +1.5 -110

Dallas -1.5 -110

@

Dec 11th, 8:15 PM

Tennessee +11.5 -111

Miami -11.5 -111

@

Dec 11th, 8:15 PM

Green Bay -5.5 -102

NY Giants +5.5 -102

@

Dec 14th, 8:15 PM

LA Chargers -3.5 -110

Las Vegas +3.5 -110

@

Dec 16th, 1:00 PM

Minnesota +0.5 -116

Cincinnati -0.5 -116

@

Dec 16th, 4:30 PM

Pittsburgh +2.5 -108

Indianapolis -2.5 -108

@

Dec 16th, 8:15 PM

Denver +4.5 -111

Detroit -4.5 -111

@

Dec 17th, 1:00 PM

Atlanta -2.5 +103

Carolina +2.5 +103

@

Dec 17th, 1:00 PM

Chicago +3.5 -104

Cleveland -3.5 -104

@

Dec 17th, 1:00 PM

Tampa Bay +3.5 -111

Green Bay -3.5 -111

@

Dec 17th, 1:00 PM

NY Giants +4.5 -115

New Orleans -4.5 -115

@

Dec 17th, 1:00 PM

Houston -3.5 -120

Tennessee +3.5 -120

@

Dec 17th, 1:00 PM

NY Jets +13.5 -120

Miami -13.5 -120

@

Dec 17th, 1:00 PM

Kansas City -11.5 -111

New England +11.5 -111

@

Dec 17th, 4:05 PM

Washington +4.5 -116

LA Rams -4.5 -116

@

Dec 17th, 4:05 PM

San Francisco -12.5 -105

Arizona +12.5 -105

@

Dec 17th, 4:25 PM

Dallas +1.5 -105

Buffalo -1.5 -105

@

Dec 17th, 8:20 PM

Baltimore -6.5 -110

Jacksonville +6.5 -110

@