Steelers' Cam Heyward Doubles Down on Ben Roethlisberger Defense

Cameron Heyward does not like people bashing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

PITTSBURGH -- Last week, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward defended the talents of his quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. This week, he's back for more.

Heyward spoke with NFL.com last week, talking about Roethlisberger's ability -- still.

On Tuesday, he spoke with local media on Zoom following the Steelers' first OTAs practice. When asked about his remarks on Roethlisberger, the Pro Bowl defensive doubled down on his defense.

"I think we're just blowing it out of proportion," Heyward said. "The dude went 11-0 to start the season. How many other quarterbacks did that? I think we can sit up here and talk about we lost the game last year. We lost to the Cleveland Browns. Ok so be it. We fell off at the end, but we still made the playoffs."

Roethlisberger has received critism from fans and media this offseason. Many believe the 39-year-old is reaching the point of no return on his athletic ability. Heyward doesn't feel the same way.

"When I hear the badmouthing about him being a not great quarterback and everybody is ready to elevate other quarterbacks, I'm like, what have they done?" Heyward said. "This guy is a proven winner, but yet we're ready to discount him."

Why does Heyward feel so strongly about his quarterback? Well, despite not owning a Super Bowl ring himself, he knows Roethlisberger is capable of bringing them to Pittsburgh.

"I'm not here to say my quarterback's not able to do it. I've seen this guy win Super Bowls on TV. I've seen him day in and day out compete," Heyward said. "You just get frustrated because I know Ben puts in work. I know how much he cares about this team."

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.

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