Mike Tomlin Won't Guarantee Ben Roethlisberger's Starting Job

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday there's no guarantee that Ben Roethlisberger will be the starting quarterback when he returns from his four-game suspension. On Monday, Tomlin named Dennis Dixon the starter in Roethlisberger's absence. When asked if Roethlisberger would regain his starting job upon his return, Tomlin told Sirius NFL Radio: "I'm going to dodge that one and not artfully," according to USA Today. "I'm not going to back myself in a corner." Byron Leftwich, reacquired by Pittsburgh during an April trade, was expected to start while Roethlisberger was out, but sprained his left medial collateral ligament Thursday against Carolina. Dixon, a third-year player from Oregon, threw for a touchdown and ran for another during an overtime loss in Baltimore last season when Roethlisberger was out with a concussion. "Dennis has had a very productive preseason and training camp," Tomlin said. "He went into the training camp as a young guy, second in the pecking order behind Byron Leftwich. He did a nice job and made it extremely competitive. He waged a battle and got some first-team reps in some preseason games. Largely, we've been very impressed with how he's handled himself in game situations." Roethlisberger was not chosen as a Steelers captain in a vote by his teammates announced Monday.

Source: ESPN

 

rofl

 

WTF ?!?!?!?!

 

?

Makes sense to me.

 

As crazy as this may sound....if Dixon is rolling and Pittsburgh is above .500....you gotta stick with the hot hand.

But lets see what he can do in his first career start first before making anything definite.

 

Ben's already had a horrible year ............... imagine if he DID lose his starting job ............. that's hilarious

 

Dixon could be 4-0 and Ben will get the starting job back, that's not even a realistic goal though in my opinion.

 

That would pretty much be best case scenario for the Steelers, that Dixon is playing so good that they keep Ben on the bench. Then they could wash their hands of him and get some nice picks in return.

 

That is true, but Dennis Dixon will never have the skill set of Roethlisberger. If he's getting the job done though who can argue against your plan.


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Edit: Or we'd get good worth out of Dixon via trade if he shows he's capable of starting in this league.

 

If Dixon and the Steelers get hot....I don't see the point of them installing Ben back as the starter just because of his past accomplishments. It's a "what have you done for me lately" league.

Obviously, no team was going to seriously pull the trigger on any Roethlisberger deal....regardless if they were serious or not about dealing him. His best bet was to stay with Pittsburgh for the time being and let all his legal issues smooth over.

For now, Dixon is the man in Pittsburgh while Ben serves his suspension. Lets see if the kid can actually seize it.

 

yep, if dixon turns into something just as good as Ben, they would get a lot in a trade for him. Damn, imagine how much someone would give up to have a 2-time SB winning QB ?................ 2 firsts? more than that?

 

You have to think in a way that maybe deep down, they hope Dixon plays well so they'll have another reason of getting rid of him.

 

He's just a little tainted... It's not like it's Brady or Peyton.

 

If if's and buts were candy and nuts......what are the odds of Dixon playing well enough to make this a legitimate discussion in 4 weeks?

 

Slim, but that is not the point. Simply discussing possibilities.

 

Very slim, Dixon can't be in the same sentence as Roethlisberger unless your discussing the depth chart. (or if Dixon commits a rape, that's for Phigles)

 

No one thought Warner or Brady would step up either... crap happens.

 

lol at still entertaining the idea

 

lol at your mind all closed up acting like it's not even impossible then following me then loling at me as you go impossible again... lol

 

lol