NFL insider Jay Glazer’s supposed joke about Ben Roethlisberger being “allergic” to offseason conditioning may have ruffled the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, but it didn’t cause a stir in the organization’s front office.
General manager Kevin Colbert, in fact, did what he usually does when such controversial statements are made in the media.
He ignored it.
It took an interview Wednesday with Trib columnist Mark Madden of WXDX for Colbert to offer a response when asked about Glazer’s crack that Roethlisberger’s workout program consists of “one yoga session, playing golf and drinking some beer.”
“You see them, you hear them,” Colbert said, “but when you know what the truth is, you just kind of let it go.”
Glazer since has backed off from that criticism.
In short, Colbert has no issues with Roethlisberger’s offseason regimen – in this offseason when he is recovering from right elbow surgery or during a typical offseason when injuries are not a factor.
“I know where Ben is, where he’s been in his career, and I’ve never worried about his conditioning,” Colbert told Madden. “When he shows up at training camp, he’s ready to go. He knows how to prepare himself.”
And Colbert expects nothing to change for the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback in spite of the coronavirus pandemic that has eliminated team workouts, causing players to prepare for the season away from the team’s South Side facility.
“(Compared to) the amount of work he’s gotten in previous training camps, it will be different when we get in because he’ll be in a semi-rehab state,” Colbert said. “But we have no concerns about him and his physical conditioning.”
Roethlisberger will be entering his 17th season with the Steelers, and he’ll be returning from a year in which he played just six quarters before undergoing season-ending surgery. Roethlisberger is signed through the 2021 season.
“I know that he could easily walk away from this game as well, but he’s continuing to play it because I think he really wants to prove and do more,” Colbert said. “To me, the guy has Hall of Fame credentials as he stands today, but that’s not enough for him – and, to me, that’s a mark of greatness.”
