(Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Steelers' defensive tackle Cameron Heyward was on the NFL Network's Good Morning Football today and talked about several topics regarding the Steelers 2021 season. The question of whether 39-year-old Ben Roethlisberger still has enough left in the tank has been a big discussion among the national and Pittsburgh media.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports is a big believer that Roethlisberger is done, as he thinks the Steelers will have a quarterback change by midseason. Heyward, however, believes that Roethlisberger can still deliver the goods.
"We know he's an explosive quarterback that can throw the ball all over the field," Heyward said of Roethlisberger. "But I think around (him), we've just got to be complementary, whether it's on offense, defense, special teams. Ben's still got the goods. Anyone that tells you otherwise, they haven't really looked at football. You give that guy a good running game and tell him he doesn't have to throw the ball 50, 60 times, he's going to be that much more dangerous, and I think we're looking forward to that. It's going to be pretty good longevity-wise if he wants to keep playing."
The Steelers believe they got their bell-cow running back that they've been longing for in Najee Harris, who they spent a first-round pick on in this year's draft. Harris should make an instant impact on the Steelers' ailing run game and give the offense a more balanced approach, which would limit the amount of throws Roethlisberger would have to throw in a game. At times last year, Roethlisberger was throwing over 50 passes a game on a regular basis. That's just too much to ask for from a quarterback who is 39 years old and heading into his 18th season.
Heyward would later tweet, "It’s may but y’all mad cuz I said my Qb can still do it at a high level and we have a young RB that can potentially have a bunch of carries. Jokes on you! I’m so excited for my team so deal with it!! #youmadbro."