PITTSBURGH — There was a familiar face at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex as the Steelers trotted out onto the practice field on Wednesday. It was none other than Ben Roethlisberger, who retired after the 2021 season when the Steelers bowed out in the Wild Card round against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Steelers Now photographer Ed Thompson snapped plenty of pictures of Roethlisberger as he made his rounds to former teammates and coaches. Among those that Roethlisberger chatted with was Mike Tomlin, Matt Canada, Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, and others.
A recognizable future HOFer snuck into the @steelers facilty today and made his rounds getting lots of love and hugs from the staff and players. @_BigBen7 also spent some private time too with Mr. Rooney. @PghSteelersNow @NFL #NFL pic.twitter.com/mZnIiuTCNe
— Ed Thompson (@ThompsonFoto12) August 24, 2022
In particular, Tomlin was happy to have Roethlisberger around. The two were a duo together since the 2007 season, and so it is uncharted waters for both of them as they wade into new waters. Tomlin is working on a quarterback competition, while Roethlisberger is figuring out what to do post-retirement. Either way, Tomlin was ecstatic to have Roethlisberger around.
“I promise you he was a casual spectator,” Tomlin said. “It was good to see the big boy.”
Tomlin and Roethlisberger keep in close contact with one another, so it was like old friends meeting up in person all again. It could be seen, as the two talked which each other for a long time during practice. Still, Tomlin liked to have the presence of Roethlisberger around the building once again.
“It’s good to see him,” Tomlin said. “He and I keep in pretty consistent contact in some form and fashion anyway. But no doubt, good to see him, good for the guys to see him, and glad to have him out there.”
Tomlin was not the only person who wanted to see Roethlisberger. Kenny Pickett was hoping to see the likely future Hall of Famer and talk to him after practice. Roethlisberger was gone by the time Pickett wanted to talk to him, but he is going to make sure to text him so they can discuss a few things.
“I wanted to grab him after practice, but I didn’t see him after,” Pickett said. “I’ll have to send him a text. But it was great to see him around, I hope he comes around again, and I can hang with him.”
Roethlisberger will likely come around every so often to see what the Steelers are up to as always. It may not be that often, but the players in the building appreciate having Roethlisberger around. Clearly, his guidance and leadership are thought of highly in the Steelers locker room, even still.