Steelers QB Roethlisberger: 'I want to stay'
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger told radio station WDVE on Friday that he is fully committed to the team, in response to a report that the Steelers are growing frustrated with him.
The NFL Network reported that the Steelers are bothered by his apparent unwillingness to change his style of play and spend more time studying film and the playbook away from the team's facility.
"First off, how does anybody know what I'm doing at home when I'm watching film or I'm looking through my playbook?" Roethlisberger said. "Unless someone's got cameras set up in my house and they're spying on me, but then they'd see the truth that I am doing that stuff.
"It's so ridiculous. I get fired up because I don't like when people make up stuff about you, especially when you're so passionate about your team and your family and where I want to be."
The report also stated that Roethlisberger may ask for a trade at the end of the season because he does not like the direction the franchise is headed.
"I want to stay," Roethlisberger said. "My family wants to stay. I want to finish my career here. I've always said that. I hope that's very clear to everybody. When someone is a source and they're unnamed, they have an agenda, and that agenda is not winning football games and not helping this team. And whoever the agenda is coming from, they're not helping us. They're hurting us.
"There's no way it's coming from in the building because, if it is, they would come talk to me. I think my resume speaks for itself on what I've done in the past -- winning championships and football games."
Roethlisberger said he spoke to Steelers owner Dan Rooney and president Art Rooney II last Sunday when the report surfaced.
"When this stuff first came out after the game, I went to Mr. Rooney and Art Rooney and said, 'Listen, I hope you guys know that none of this is coming from me. I don't know where it's coming from.' I think they knew that. I just wanted them to hear that directly from me," Roethlisberger said.
"Both of them said to me, 'Ben, this is ridiculous. It's not from us. We would never think about getting rid of you.' I don't know if it's necessary to go to them (again) because I believe what they told me last week."
In addressing his reported unwillingness to change his style of play, Roethlisberger said the owners only told him to make adjustments to help stay healthy.
"He's never said to change when we talk in person," Roethlisberger said. "I trust him. Obviously, I don't want to be hurt. I want to be out there every week, every play. That's my agenda: winning football games and doing everything I can to help this franchise win games and championships."
Roethlisberger has two years left on his eight-year, $102 million contract after this season.
