No Heinz, No Ben… Pittsburgh’s New Era
(Credit: Photo by Jared Wickerham/Pittsburgh City Paper)
I struggle to remember an offseason as hectic and unpredictable as the one we are living through in 2022. Franchise icons have moved, such as Russell Wilson to Denver, Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins, and Davante Adams to Las Vegas.
We have seen the retirement of Tom Brady, only to return a mere 40 days later. We have even seen legendary running back Frank Gore score a knockout in his first professional boxing match.
One thing that may have gone under the radar is the complete end of an era for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unless you are a fan or have been paying close attention, you may have missed the complete overhaul of one of the NFL’s most storied franchises.
Now, as a Ravens fan, I will do my best to not gloat about the recent struggles of the Steelers. But credit where credit’s due, they have been one of the best teams in the league since before I was even born.
Big Ben Retires
After 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger announced that he would be retiring from the NFL. The revelation was not a surprising one, and while it was clear that he would be on his way out, the news was met with mixed emotions around the league.
Roethlisberger will undoubtedly find his bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when eligible for his on-field successes. He would finish his career 5th in all-time passing yards (64,088), and 8th in touchdowns (418), while winning two Super Bowls titles with the Steelers.
While his on-field success will lead to his enshrinement in Canton, it’s his off-field controversies that have permanently tarnished his legacy. During his career, he was accused of sexual assault on more than one occasion. This even resulted in a 4-game suspension in 2010.
He also clashed with teammates and the Steelers front office, most notably his relationship with former wide receiver Antonio Brown. The duo was one of the strongest tandems in the league from 2010-2018. But clashes of ego, competitiveness, and pettiness eventually led to Brown being sent to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Heading into the 2022-23 season, Pittsburgh will not have Roethlisberger’s name on the quarterback depth chart for the first time since 2004. They will be entering the new season with Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, and Mason Rudolph as the team’s QBs.
There will be plenty of questions heading into the new year. But the usual “will Ben retire?” will no longer be looming over the franchise.
No Longer Home for Heinz
A week after the Steelers announced fintech company Acrisure would be taking over the naming rights of the former Heinz Field, the giant ketchup bottles were being removed from their home at the gate A entrance by the south endzone.
The naming rights deal with Heinz had been in place since 2001 when the Steelers new stadium opened. Heinz Field is the latest of many sporting stadiums to undergo a major change, much to the disapproval of fans.
Heinz Field, much like the Staples Center in Los Angeles, became synonymous with the franchise. Now fans will need to get used to calling it Acrisure Stadium. It’s not something that rolls off the tongue nor feels overly welcoming in my opinion.
Either way, the new era officially begins in Pittsburgh as the Steelers will welcome the New England Patriots for the franchise’s first home game at Acrisure Stadium and without Ben Roethlisberger.
