Leading up to the Pittsburgh Steelers' 28-15 victory over the Miami Dolphins, three new members of the Steelers Hall of Honor were announced. Among them was franchise legend and two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who, like many current and retired NFL players, has his own podcast centered around football.
Steelers fans are well aware of this, and Roethlisberger has not been shy when it comes to discussing the franchise where he spent all 18 of his seasons. Most recently, he echoed the thoughts of many frustrated fans who think it may be time for head coach Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh to part ways.
During a media session before Monday Night Football, however, he clarified his thoughts about his former coach, and it was a far cry from what he had to say just two weeks ago.
Ben Roethlisberger now believes Mike Tomlin should decide when his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers should end
In a reversal of his earlier comments, ESPN's Brooke Pryor shared a video of Roethlisberger clearing the air about his opinion of Tomlin.
Ben Roethlisberger on his podcast comments that it might be time to “clean house” and for Mike Tomlin to move on:
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) December 16, 2025
“that's just saying that I think Coach Tomlin, if he wants to move on, he has every right to want to move on. Not they should. It's up to him and he's earned that.” pic.twitter.com/Y4NZQCXfzv
The replies to Pryor's tweet are full of fans claiming Roethlisberger of walking back his earlier comments, not simply clarifying them. Considering the stark difference between these thoughts and his previous ones, I am inclined to agree. To be fair, he also makes it clear that he is never trying to critique the player or person he is discussing, but instead the play or situation itself.
Some might view that as a bit of a cop out, but it's an understandable position for a former NFL player to take. Big Ben knows as well as anyone how tough it is to play at a high level for an extended period of time, and he likely doesn't want to be viewed as somebody willing to throw his former coach under the bus.
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Still, if he is indeed trying to walk back his original comments, I don't believe he should feel the need to do so. Nothing he said about Tomlin was particularly negative or outright disrespectful. Again, he is far from the only one in the media, including other former Steelers, who have expressed the idea that a mutual parting of ways could be good for both sides.
If he had said he deserved to be fired, was never a good coach, or something else of that nature, I could see the reasons for backtracking. Especially at a time when you are being honored by the organization. That isn't what happened, however, and if anything, fans seem more bothered by his retraction than anything he originally said in the first place.