2020 was a challenging year for everyone in one way or another. Whether it is about losing a job, losing a loved one, or even just accepting things different from what we are used to. While it is not as important as some of the aforementioned accidents that can happen during these challenging times, sport has been severely affected by the pandemic.

Youth and high school sports are closed, and even the professional sports leagues have paused their games because they solve the best way forward. The National Football League was the first league to start its matches on schedule and to complete the regular season without the need to cancel any matches.

Not that there were no obstacles along the way, but that many players have faced their own struggles both in the off-season and in the regular season. The teams were not able to see the players as much as they would normally during the small camps, organized team activities and training camp.

Things were different, yet there was a level of uncertainty around specific players. to me Pittsburgh Steelers There was no player older than Ben Roethlisberger in sight. After suffering an elbow injury at the end of the season that required surgery, no one knew what to expect from the midfielder on the team.

Sure, there was a video of him throwing, but that definitely can’t be compared to actually playing the game at the highest level. When the 2020 pre-season was canceled, the Steelers realized they would miss a chance to see what Rothlisberger could or could not do with his new facility.

Was Steelers anxious? Both Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert put a happy face whenever asked about Rothlisberger’s health. They talked about how he could be a better player than he was before the injury, how his rehabilitation wasn’t a positive thing, and especially how they fully expected Rothlisberger to be the start and be able to make all the throws the NFL midfielder needed. .

However, after the 2020 season, as Roethlisberger played in 15 out of 16 regular season matches, he secured the week 17 match against the game. Cleveland Browns For convenience, Mike Tomlin talked about how The Steelers were concerned about Roethlisberger’s health throughout the season.

Regarding Ben [Roethlisberger]I cannot say enough about his performance this year. With the uncertainty of injury, especially not having a chance to perform in pre-season matches etc., there was already a high level of concern about his health and ability to perform. ”Tomlin said. I can’t say enough about his efforts. I can’t say Enough about the efforts of our medical and rehabilitation staff who worked side by side with him to get him into the process and take him to the stadiums this year.

„I was more than pleased with his health and resilience performance. In terms of the quality of his play and our play, we will start evaluating that in the coming days, but in terms of his response to the challenges that came specifically in the season and ready to take on, that’s amazing.“

The fact that the Steelers was interested in Rothlisberger’s health shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. When the franchise midfielder undergoes elbow surgery at the end of the season at age 37, there should be concern. Are all questions surrounding Roethlisberger’s ability answered in 2020? Are the Steelers convinced that Rothlisberger can return and play well in 2021 in the final year of his current contract?

Tomlin isn’t about to say anything of that now.

„We have not made any decisions about any of our employees like this.“ Tomlin stated. „As I mentioned, all of these discussions are interconnected, and we are just beginning to reveal the surface in terms of what 2021 will look like in terms of composition and issues of our team.“

The Steelers have a big decision to make with Roethlisberger this season. Have him play the last year of his contract with $ 41 million, or get him released and owe him only about $ 21 million. It was never an easy decision when it came to the franchise operator, but as Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu discover, no one is immune to the Steelers who are basically telling them their time is up.

With that said, make sure to keep an eye out for BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding in black and gold as they prepare for a super tumultuous season.