It should come as no surprise to Steeler’s quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that his old center wants Maurkice Pouncey to retire. Based on the conversation they shared after the shameful loss to the Cleveland Browns, Pouncey had already made up his mind.
Shortly after the game, reports surfaced that Pouncey was indeed planning to retire. Only Big Ben doesn’t want him to hang it yet, and the center hasn’t made an announcement. What it seems to hold is Roethlisberger. Per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, considers it important that Maurkice is Steeler in 2021.
Roethlisberger isn’t wrong because he wants Pouncey to have his back – ahem, his front. The quarterback-center relationship both on and off the field is critical to the success of the offense, and Ben has known and trusted Pouncey for over a decade.
But Pittsburgh needs the absolute best players they can play next season if they expect to have another chance at a ring while Roethlisberger is still at the helm. Pouncey’s last two seasons don’t scream “the absolute best”. He was one of the best centers in the competition in his prime, but his production declined significantly between pre-2019 and the years that followed. The NFL is all about what-you’ve-done-to-me-lately, and with Maurkice, that’s not enough. Should Pouncey return to the Steelers because of Big Ben and not for himself, it could be a disaster.
Design a solid rookie center in the first round, like the Steelers did with Pouncey in 2010, and continue the youth movement down the line that began with guard Kevin Dotson. In any case, the restructuring of the O-line will be a process of two designs – might as well start now.
And you could say that once the “r word” is spoken, it is difficult not to be mentally checked out. Pouncey has been checked out for a while. If it’s not his heart what his production has shown, it’s best for the Steelers that he quit. Roethlisberger will just have to deal with it – which may not be very pretty.